In Cold Blood
by Silverpelt
Summary: Ibis has always been different from her peers: heightened senses, higher thresholds, strange habits and beliefs. After a chance encounter with someone she never thought she'd meet, she begins to slowly change. What if she wasn't meant to be human?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter One

Ibis sighed and watched her breath ripple the surface of the foam on her coffee. The little caramel swirl that the barista put on it didn't move with it. She felt like that swirl: Colorful, sweet, unwilling to bend to much of other peoples' wills, but sinking to the bottom of the cup fast and not making the coffee around her sweet with her sugar as she went. She had just graduated from the Skyknight Academy not three months ago, and she was already considering resigning her armor and weapons. Her counselor, her teachers, the upperclassmen before her, they had all said that as soon as she graduated, she would be plucked away from the earth and swept into action within weeks. Unfortunately, nearly all of her graduating class had been 'swept away' and left her flapping with cardboard wings.

It wasn't that she barely graduated, far from it. It turned out that she hadn't been the youngest Sky Knight ever; a youth named Aerrow had beaten her to it by a few years little more than five years previous. But she had come out as one of the most accomplished students in her class, and in the top ten in the academy overall. She had high degrees in combat, self-defense, history, engineering, mathematics, biology, first aid, and even cooking. She was pretty much certified to be anything on a crew. The trouble was that none of the new crews had even glanced her way, so to speak. She tried not to think of the dream she had had the night before her graduation, for she thought it was the reason no one had chosen her, the one where she tried to walk forward with new and exciting prospects beyond her wildest wishes…a pair of rough, loving lips kissed her own tenderly…

…And then her clothing was torn from her body, she felt cold and hot flashes rip over her spine, her teeth itched and she felt sharp-as-needles canines draw blood from her lips as she closed her mouth, her heels disappeared into her calves and her toes became three instead of five, her spine crackled and shot out into a whip-like tail behind her, her insides writhed and almost made her sick, her face mashed inward and elongated to the sides and her ears disappeared into her head, her blood turned to ice in her veins, and her hair fell out and in its place her body sprouted thick plating that cascaded down her naked, vulnerable flesh. Once that horrifying transformation was complete, though, she felt large, warm hands on her shoulders, helping her up, showing her the way into the shadows and away from her old life…

It was very strange, that dream. She almost felt like calling it a nightmare, but at the end, she felt a feeling of…completion. Like she had finally come to face what had always made her so different from the rest of her peers, why her beliefs were so uncommon, why she had an inborn determination that drove her beyond what should have been her limits as a human…into something more? That dream, that vision, had given her hope. For the life of her, though, she couldn't place what it could mean…

"Ibis? You okay?" Startled, Ibis looked up. Her friend Xandra had just returned from getting a pastry from the counter. The sounds of the café came back slowly to Ibis's ears, and she blinked a few times.

"Uh…yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Why?" Xandra sat down across the little table from her and bit into the pastry. It looked moist and warm from here. In fact, Ibis could smell it, and it smelled like fresh pumpkin bread.

"You look sad, hon." Ibis shrugged and lowered her eyes. "Is it 'cause the mighty have fallen?" She smiled at that joke though. Xandra, like Ibis, had been among the top ten in the academy and the top three of their class. It was because of their strange personalities that they became friends, and somehow both of them managed to excel in the same combat specialty classes. The two opposing classes had a tournament among the students in the individual classes, then the winners from both would face off to determine who would receive the highest marks and special, up-to-date equipment. Xandra and Ibis had come out on top, one from each class. The fight had been to third blood, and with seven hours past, each girl had gotten second blood, but no farther. They were exhausted but they kept pushing on, determined to win that title. The instructors had stepped in and stopped them at seven and one half hours, declaring them both the winners. So, since they referred to themselves as the mightiest of their classes, their failure to secure a crew at all was their "fall". The phrase was suiting.

"Kind of. It could also be this mocha. I think the barista put whole milk in it." Xandra nodded in understanding. She knew her friend was seriously lactose intolerant. "I'm okay though."

"Yeah, well…" Xandra took another bite and gazed out the window they sat next to, looking a little bored.

"Sorry I can't be more entertaining," Ibis muttered in a jokingly accusatory tone. Xandra looked up at her and smiled when she saw her grin.

"No, hon, it's okay. I'm just thinking. How are we going to get a crew? We can't just sit around forever."

"You're right. We can't just sit here; we need something to amuse ourselves." Ibis held her chin in her hand and let her eyes examine the world beyond the glass. A few moments later she became aware of a set of eyes on her. She glanced at Xandra and saw the mischievous smile on her face. "What?"

"Boys," her friend stated without moving her gaze. Ibis's instant reaction was to look around and behind her. "Not here, though." Ibis gave her a confused look. "We need boys to amuse us."

"Ugh, you're so dirty sometimes." Xandra let her teeth show in a predatory smirk. Ibis rolled her eyes. "What, are you suggesting we go out and get boyfriends or something?"

"Maybe."

"Xan, that's the last thing we need right now. We need to find a crew, not boytoys." Xandra just lifted her eyebrows and got up to leave the café, forcing Ibis to follow.

Walking down one of the main street of Terra Atmosia next to the Academy was…nice, Ibis decided. Trees and foliage and flowers all blooming and thriving in this late spring season preceded the park nearby. Soft breezes with the spicy sweet scents of blossoms floated leisurely past and put her in high spirits for the moment. Boys were the last things on her mind, but if Xandra had her sights set on a guy, she'd most likely get one within a few hours, if not within the next hour. Xandra had a very appealing figure, Ibis thought. She wasn't too tall, or terribly thin, but her curves were always something Ibis envied. Most of the time Ibis thought she herself looked a little emaciated because she had been so thin in her earlier adolescent years, but only recently had she filled out into the moderately modest curves of her adulthood. But Xandra had developed early on, gaining luscious curvature rapidly then smoothing out later.

Her shoulder-length black hair was cut into a choppy, whippy hairstyle with white-gold streaks, giving her a punkish air. She was a little shorter than Ibis, but only because of her genes, and possibly because of Ibis's strange habit of wearing big shoes to compensate for her own short stature. The way she walked with such assurance and confidence made Ibis envious…but it also made her want to either outdo her or match her. That same compulsion was what had driven Ibis to the tops of her classes. She hated being anything less than amazing compared to someone who was right behind her or above her, skill-wise. So she slowly worked her way to the top and defended what she believed was her rightful and well-deserved position fiercely.

Xandra's pretty visage was suitably pale, her fair skin virtually freckle-less. Her hazel eyes shone brightly. She nearly always had a smile softly stretching those kissable pink lips of hers when she was in a mood like this. The way she swung her hips now accentuated the uniform they were required to wear at all times when looking for a crew. It made them easy to spot in a crowd of civilians. Her uniform was a hip-hugging silver and black body suit, as was the latest standard uniform. But the nice part about the body suits was that once a student graduated, they had the choice of either keeping the default black that the suit came in or choosing a secondary color to go along with the black. A slight cliché drawback to that latter choice was that your weapon's crystal was altered to have the exact same shade as your secondary color. So if you thought you'd look good in brown, your weapon's iridescence would be brown too. (Luckily for Ibis that she both looked good in her secondary color and didn't mind the color of her upgraded weapon.)

On Xandra's wrists thick leather bands sported dangerous-looking spikes, and on her left hip she had her customized laser whip, one of the weapons she had received at the end of the combat class tournament. Its sinuous length was dotted with what looked like strange little lumps, but if activated, the lumps extended into thorn-like projections that could send even the toughest enemy into paralysis. It had impressive voltage for a weapon with ordinary electro-crystals. But the key was that the electro-crystals were tiny sharpened fragments that were invisibly embedded in the tips of the thorns. They could reach past the skin and hit the nerves. If not utilized with a practiced hand, someone could end up losing the function of whatever body part was hit for life. It could even kill. Therefore, Xandra had had to be specially trained to control the great responsibility of death in her hands.

Then suddenly through the haze of catcalling and whistling that they both got, Ibis heard a distinct voice from around the next corner. Astonished that she could hear something that well from such a distance, she sped up and turned to go around the corner…

And smacked into the thick breastplate of someone whose chest was at her eye level. Her forehead throbbed for a moment as she cupped it with her left hand and looked up to apologize. A Wallop with tan skin and turquoise hair stared down at her. Kind brown eyes that reminded her of a dog's blinked a split second before he smiled at her. "Are you okay, miss?" His broad smile was gentle. The world narrowed for a moment while Ibis took in the strangely out-of-place gesture of politeness. She rubbed her forehead again, and then nodded as her hand dropped.

"Yes, thank you." Xandra rounded the corner looking distressed.

"Ibis, what the he-." She cut herself off in the middle of her sentence as she saw whom her friend was talking to. Then her focus shifted to someone Ibis hadn't even realized was standing next to the Wallop. Taking a second to glance at the youth, Ibis guessed that he was in his late teens, very early twenties, and much shorter than his friend. He had carefully managed, golden blonde hair that stood in defiance of gravity off his skull, and a fairly outdated marksman body suit with a blue insignia painted on the left shoulder plate. His bright blue eyes were fixed on Xandra. "Oh, hi…" Xandra seemed at a loss for words.

"Hey," he replied. With that one word, he apparently made up his mind and his face split in a grin not unlike Xandra's own from the café. His thick eyebrows and half-lidded eyes only added to his seductiveness. His voice was about a tenor, Ibis guessed, maybe a bass. She always used vocal vocabulary to describe someone's voice. But she couldn't just assume from the one word he'd said. The young man's eyes flicked to Ibis for a moment and then moved back to Xandra. "Where'd you two sweet things come from?" Xandra giggled in a darkly inviting way.

"Around. You?" She batted her eyelashes softly at him. Ibis looked away and at the ground, the flirtatious body language making her uncomfortable. She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed quietly. She could feel Xandra's hot eyes on her now, and prepared to be introduced. Whenever Xandra met someone when Ibis was around, she would try to include Ibis in the hopes that maybe she wouldn't feel outshined. It didn't work very much, but the gesture was nice.

"My name's Xandra."

"I'm Finn. It's a pleasure to meet you."

A silence hung over the four of them. Ibis could tell Xandra was waiting for Finn to ask her friend's name. But she could tell that his attention was set on her. "So…you wanna go for a walk?" Ibis let out another sigh, this one heavy with the sound of reluctance.

"Uh…Finn, this is my friend Ibis." Ibis looked up shyly and blushed, embarrassed, as Finn's eyes scanned her up and down and then developed a look of disinterest. He couldn't care less. When he looked back to Xandra, Ibis felt the wordless dismissal hit her pride and knock some dust off of it. That familiar lump in her throat came back painfully, but she swallowed hard to keep it down. Her eyes remained dry.

"Nice to meet you, Ibis." Ibis blinked and frowned; that wasn't Finn's voice. She peered up from under her magenta-pink bangs and locked eyes with the Wallop. He seemed a little troubled by his friend's rudeness, but he smiled encouragingly. She felt herself smile. "I'm Junko."

"Junko? It's nice to meet you too…" Feeling touched by his acceptance, she let her arms fall from her torso in an unconscious show of comfort and relief. She bent her arms slightly and locked her fingers behind her back. In the back of her mind, she knew that baring her stomach was an invitation, a sign of extreme trust, as it was with all creatures. She couldn't help it; that smile of his was so welcoming.

Xandra beamed at Ibis's look of pleasure. She silently thanked the giant Wallop for his kindness and turned her attention to Finn, whose image in her mind was already a bit tarnished by his disdainful snub. "Sure. A walk sounds nice. Maybe you boys can help us poor little girls out while we talk?" She turned and waited for Finn's reaction.

"We can definitely do that, huh, Junko?" He elbowed his friend lightly in the arm.

"Yeah, we don't have to be back on the Condor for a few hours. What do you need help with?" They lined up along the walkway, Ibis and Xandra sandwiching Junko and Finn between them. That was Xandra's technique: surround them with beautiful girls and you had already won.

Approaching the park, Xandra introduced their problem. Ibis watched as Finn's eyebrows rose slowly, and she could read those blue eyes of his. He was hatching a plan.

"You know, we sure could use some extra help around the Condor. That sounds like the perfect job for fresh graduates like you. I don't think Aerrow would object too much. What do you think, buddy?" She could also see the facial cue directed at Junko. The hint was obnoxiously obvious.

Junko glanced at Ibis for a moment, and his thoughts were plain on his face as well. He clearly found her attractive (which was a big plus on her self-esteem), and it wouldn't hurt to see if Aerrow would allow them to stay on for a few days, if only to help them out. He nodded. "Sounds good to me." Suddenly, a device went off on one of the boys' belts, and Finn grabbed a small portable radio from his right hip.

"What's up, Aerrow?" A tinny voice crackled over the frequency for a moment. Then he answered, "Sorry, Piper. Yeah, yeah, we're on our way back; don't get your panties in a knot. We're not that far away…" He listened again, and then smiled at Xandra. "Hey, Piper, tell Aerrow we found some priceless treasures while we were out. He's definitely going to be interested in what we found."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Two

In the brand-new dry dock for sky ships, Xandra and Ibis gaped inwardly at the Condor, a massive-looking ship that overshadowed a large portion of the dock it rested next to. Its old, rusty sides were curved beautifully into a pontoon-like shape, and from the size it appeared to have two giant engines on the inside. Aside from the faded paintjob, it looked to be in excellent condition, as if the crew or pilot doted upon it like it was a child. A broad ramp led from the dock to the hanger of the metallic behemoth, and the sound of bolts hitting the floor came from within. Outside of those small noises, Ibis could almost hear the deafening roar of the crowd around them. She was acutely aware of how abnormal this new trait of hers was, this sharpening of hearing and easy blocking of nearly unavoidable noises. It reminded her of something inhuman, but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly.

Finn and Junko led them up the ramp and into the hanger, which was dimly lit with the LED lights suspended from the ceiling. As the floor leveled out, Ibis became aware of her surroundings in the heated launch bay. It smelled of warm metal and dark comfort. She could feel her lips stretch in a smile again and moved faster to keep up with the group. Many Air Skimmers were parked in the bay, one smaller than the others, and with an outdated tail rotor too. A strange monstrosity of a vehicle sat closer to the inner door of the hanger, a bulky-looking green thing with teeth painted on it and big headlights for the eyes. The clunking of bolts came from this corner and as they walked past it, she felt eyes on her back. The fine hairs on her neck rising, Ibis span on her heel and locked eyes with a creepy, yet handsomely compelling, male Merb.

His orange-yellow irises bore into her suspiciously behind long pieces of black, greasy hair. His finely furred body was lithe and sinuous and a light shade of green akin to that of peas. His mouth curved weirdly in either a grimace of shock or a smile of insanity. His brown body suit was speckled with bits and fragments of metal that looked to be meant for protection. As he unfolded himself from his squatting position next to the odd vehicle and lowered the drill in his left hand, he held his right hand close to his body like an animal would favor a wounded leg. He sidestepped his way into the open pathway and slouched to get a closer look at Ibis without really moving his body anymore. His thick eyebrows curled downward into a scrutinizing frown, and he lightly sniffed the air in her direction before he recoiled with a disapproving pout. He opened his mouth, revealing slightly yellowed, sharp teeth. "Who're they?" Even his voice sounded dark and oily and disparaging. And also, to Ibis's dismay, accusatory. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him and blinked.

Finn and Junko had stopped to wait for her, but came back with Xandra. Junko leaned over and pushed Ibis closer to the Merb gently. "Ibis, this is Stork. He's our pilot. Don't let him scare you; he's always like that." She tentatively held out her hand for him to shake, but he looked at it and wrinkled his nose. She felt her face fall and that lump in her throat rise again. As she lowered her hand again, Junko reached out and took it. Surprised, she blushed slightly as he bowed to her and softly brushed her fingers with his lips. Her blush increased when he looked her in the eye and smiled in a way that could only be described as devilish. Her flustered state only grew further when he turned to Stork and said, "_That's _how you say hello to a lady." Ibis diverted her eyes and saw Xandra smirking at her. She smiled back at her shyly.

Walking up to the main lobby of the Condor was a faint mass of confusing turns into bare hallways and past closed doors. Since Junko's startlingly stimulating demonstration, Ibis kept her hands to herself out of comfort. Part of her was fizzing with excitement at the prospect of a new love interest after six years, but the other part of her was terrified. After her first, and presumably last, boyfriend, she was increasingly apprehensive as she grew. Her self-esteem plummeted and she became depressed with herself. She was never contented in her own skin, as if just having him hug her for the last time made her dirty in a way that no amount of bathing could fix. Hung up on her image as every teenager was, she felt she couldn't be happy in any way if she didn't look right to herself. Because of his rejection, she felt it had been her fault that she was no longer good enough, not even for the people who had known her for years. Every negative comment drove her to look in any reflective surface and mess with her hair or clothing. Soon she developed a habit of grooming that was not unlike a nervous tic.

But now with Junko liking her appearance at first glance, she didn't remember how to act. She had seen everything negative with young men at the Academy. Prospective boys that had approached her with the offer of a date made her think the worst of them. It was the looks in their eyes that suggested they either had other plans for her than a date, or it was just a dare they wanted to fulfill to their friends. Most times, those boys would saunter up to her and ask her out with their friends guffawing not twenty feet away. But Junko had been different. She could tell that he was a good soul, and Finn certainly hadn't put him up to anything. He had smiled at her and then treated her with the utmost respect from the second she had smacked into him. No boy had ever done that for her, and it didn't hurt that he was cute.

As they went up one last flight of stairs and came to a large door, the hallway became wider and more ornately decorated, as if they had allowed it to become more of a home than a ship. A potted plant was anchored firmly to an outcropping of metal in the corner of a wall. A fine rug was laid out on the floor. Personal additions to room entrances were constant. Then the door panels swooped open, retreating into the walls and revealing the main deck of the Condor.

The part of the deck they stepped out onto was a crescent shape, curving out and down into the lower level of the helm. A railing covered the inner edge of the crescent to prevent anyone from falling. The lower level held a crescent shaped couch as well, a huge, beat-up piece of furniture holding a round conference table in the crook of itself. Sitting with their backs to the door and leaning over a map were two individuals: one masculine with spiked, coppery red hair, and the other feminine with a long sweep of black hair so shiny it looked to be blue. Ibis couldn't help but notice that they were both wearing the outdated body suits that the rest of the crew wore. Apparently, this crew was a fairly old one, at least four years.

As Junko walked down the right-hand ramp, Finn put a hand on the railing and hopped over it, landing on his feet loudly. The couple on the couch turned and looked at him. The young man had emerald green eyes that shone bravely from his face. The girl had light hazel eyes, bright enough to be mistaken for orange. She was intelligent, to be sure. Her brow furrowed as she glared a little at Finn, as if she wished he hadn't interrupted her studies.

"'Sup, guys? Getting in a little alone time?" Even though Ibis had only known this boy for a few hours, she could almost hear his eyebrows wiggling at his crewmates from the suggestion of that comment.

"Finn, you're late. Where were you?" The girl wrinkled her nose at him in a show of disapproval.

"Yeah, Finn, what's this 'precious treasure' business?" The boy's eyes drifted to Xandra and Ibis as he asked this, then their questioning sparkle toned down to something more like…was that weariness? Apparently he was used to Finn's quest for females. "Oh, ladies, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't apologize; he can't help it if he's hypnotized by our beauty." Xandra smiled at the copper-haired guy.

"You mean, _your _beauty. He didn't seem so taken with me." Ibis's voice sounded like she felt: soft and meek. She rubbed her left upper arm shyly. Finn looked at her in a peculiar way and then smiled oddly.

"Yeah, you just don't make the mark. Not good enough. Sorry, babe." Ibis felt her self-esteem lag a great deal. Unexpectedly, Junko stepped up to him and gave him a subtle but challenging scowl.

"Shut up, Finn." The cloaked menace in his voice made Ibis shudder. The air crackled with tension and silence for a few moments as Junko stepped away and sat heavily on one end of the couch, keeping eye contact with Finn.

"So…um, why did you bring these girls here, Finn?"

"Uh, correction. I brought _this _smokin' hottie here 'cause she apparently hasn't had a taste of the Finn Experience. Duh." Finn leaned on the couch back with one hand and put the other on his hip. A few light snorts permeated the silence after his statement. The boys soon found Piper, Ibis, and Xandra doubled over in hysterical laughter. "What?"

"Sorry, but that's too funny." Piper cleared her throat and giggled.

"So what about the other girl?" The boy with the red hair glanced at Ibis.

"Her? Well, see, Junko's got the hots for her and Xandra there's her friend, so she came along. I figured it's about time Junko got some ass." The tension that had been eased by the outbreak of laughter was brought back with that sentence. _Or more correctly,_ Ibis thought, _the first and last words of that sentence. _She knew she was blushing five different shades of pink right about now, which was probably making her look like a big piece of human-shaped candy because of her magenta-with-red-ends hair, not to mention her hot pink and black body suit. But one glance at Junko's face made her shiver, not with fear or anticipation, but with recognition. She remembered all too clearly feeling that murderous. Those big brown eyes that had looked at her with all the kindness in the world now bored into the back of Finn's head with a red-hot ferocity. It was a strange feeling to see him like that. The leader kindly broke the thickness of the strained air around them.

"Ah, Xandra, Ibis. What are you here for, really?"

Ibis spoke up. "We just graduated from the Sky Knight Academy a few months ago, sir. All of our classmates have been selected for squadrons, but we remain behind. We were within the top three of our class, but we were still not chosen. All we ask for now is your appraisal. If we are not satisfactory to your tastes or needs, you may dismiss us." She kept her eyes on the leader of the crew, strangely not wanting to meet Junko's gaze for fear of…what?

The leader thought for a moment, and as he thought, the creepy pilot came in behind them through the helm doors. Even though her attention was physically fixed, Ibis could feel him behind her: tall, thin, and warm. And she could, oddly enough, smell him and hear him too: he smelled of hot fur, metal, grease, and something chemically sweet, like hair gel. His soft breathing, which could probably not be heard by "normal" people, was whistling in his lungs in a steady rhythm. Not knowing she could hear him, he leaned over and sniffed her again with an inaudible inhalation, but Ibis felt and heard it and flinched at his open, rude curiosity. The leader saw her jerk and said, "Stork, stop that. Ibis, if you two could show us what you are capable of, combat-wise, we'll be happy to appraise you."

Ibis nodded and replied, "If you would follow us out to the platform of your hanger bay, we can show you exactly what we're made of." Adrenaline rushed through her veins and slithered coldly through the core of her heart like a line of snow. The cold shot made the circuitry embedded in her nervous system tingle and spring to life. That feeling was so very familiar, and it excited her to no end. If there was one thing she felt she could excel at naturally, it was the true experience of fighting. As she turned around and led the way to the hanger, she heard Junko's heavy footfalls behind her along with everyone else's quiet ones. But she pushed those sounds out of her mind and concentrated on what moves she would use.

Ibis ran over the list of stretches she had done that morning and smiled with glee at the thought of being able to use just about anything she could whip out. The mechanics beneath her skin tingled even more as the hanger came closer. More and more of her teeth were exposed as her grin grew and her footsteps slammed heavily onto the flooring with anticipation. Shudders raced down her spine and she almost began jogging in her strange haste to spar. This animalistic need to prove herself was so overwhelming…if she hadn't been feeling so elated and desperate, she would've been afraid of herself for acting so odd. She knew now that her breathing came out in pants and hisses through her bared teeth and her hands clenched and unclenched restlessly. She was a nightmare, but every molecule of her being screamed for fast-paced movement and the taste of blood. Her thoughts became more mangled and incoherent and single-minded as the hanger came into view. _Finally…_

She sprinted the last few feet, stopping and turning three-fourths of the way out. Her eyes locked on Xandra and she forced herself to tone down the maniacal grin. Xandra saw it as a challenging smirk and rested her hand on the handle of her whip. She paused just outside of the bay door. As if on cue, their spectators spread out to the edges of the platform. Ibis tapped her right foot impatiently, and felt her already racing heartbeat throb twice as fast when Xandra snapped her whip out and it began crackling with energy. Ibis licked her lips, then crouched down to the ground and assumed the stance that had earned her the well-deserved title of The Beast.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Three

Xandra watched Ibis bend down to the ground, her teeth bared and menacing now that Xandra had accepted her challenge. Ibis lowered her head as if in defeat, but her eyes flashed and locked with Xandra's. The way her friend glared at her from beneath her bangs, her sapphire-gray eyes glowing and making the soft pink hairs appear pale, made Xandra shiver on the inside. Every time they faced off like this, she had to remind herself that this was her buddy, her pal. Even though she looked like she could rip your head off at times such as these, she always reverted back to the shy, quiet girl that she always was. But it was still jarring to see the rapid transformation. It was like she was a different person.

Xandra could never understand the operation that Ibis had had. When it came time to choose their custom weapons for their prizes, the teachers and scientists had determined that the whip was perfect for Xandra's temperament. But Ibis's results had been controversial. Her style of fighting, body height and weight, and personality all had to be carefully weighted into the decision. All the other simple and advanced weapons had been crossed off the list because Ibis wasn't fit for them in some crucial area. They deliberated for nearly a week before they settled on a dangerous choice. The scientists at the Academy had been working on a cybernetic nerve-implant weapon that was extremely powerful, but the long-term chances of someone surviving successfully with the system were unknown. Because it could run on the delicate electrical charge of the human body, it must be embedded in the skin. Such an operation was heavily debated as deadly and unneeded. It was very likely that someone could die from an attempted operation. But it was possible. Only the most perfect factors could allow a person to be applicable for both the operation and the weapon. Ibis just happened to be the perfect test subject. She remembered Ibis staring at the consent form with blank eyes, Ibis signing it without remorse or fear on her face, Ibis waking up the morning of the procedure with dark circles under her eyes. She had said that the wearier she was, the easier it would be to go under the anesthesia and stay under. Xandra hadn't believed her, but she hugged Ibis and told her to be careful.

She had waited in the lobby for hours, restlessly tapping her foot, nibbling on snacks she didn't have the appetite for, pacing, reading the same sentence from a book she didn't remember bringing and not gaining any knowledge on the subject of the book. She didn't remember drifting to sleep until a nurse shook her shoulder and told her that the operation had been successful. Ibis was resting and under constant watch of professional doctors. She could visit her friend in a few hours. She could go home and go to sleep. A messenger could bring her back once Ibis was able to take visitors. When she had been summoned, Xandra had rushed right over. Seeing Ibis lying there in the hospital bed made her scared all over again. Seeing her up-close was worse. Her skin was red, raw where the surgeons had taken off the first few layers of skin to prevent disfiguring scars from appearing. It wasn't for the looks; it was for the safety of the individual. Going right down to the nerves left big, thick scars that could leave her more vulnerable than ever. Large gashes like that would be thick and ropy; since they were all over her body, they would make it hard for her to move at all because her skin would be tight and awkward. Her performance levels would drop significantly, and then she wouldn't be the ideal subject to test the product on.

But after being discharged after a week and a half of tests and observation, Ibis's lobster red skin faded to what looked like sunburn. She didn't wince when she moved anymore, and as a result her skin was just as nice as before and had no scars, not even the ones that Xandra had given her from the big fight.

Ever since then, watching the weapon at work with Ibis's body was so alien and futuristic that it forced Xandra to put the experiences behind her, like a bad dream. But each time they faced off and the system was activated, Xandra couldn't help feeling that Ibis had been turned into something animal that was barely managing to hide itself in human skin.

Now seeing those familiar eyes stare up at her and narrow, Xandra breathed deeply and braced herself to watch the cybernetics unleash the creature that Ibis had become. The energy was collected now, and she could almost hear the soft whine of machinery underneath Ibis's skin. Now the pathways of her advanced nervous system began to glow a bright, hot pink through her dermis on the patches of it that were visible, making her face look gaunt, starved. Xandra heard the crew behind her take in a collective breath of surprise and wonder and possibly even horror. She heard an animal-like whimper from the leader's direction, but as curious as she was, she couldn't afford to take her eyes away from Ibis, lest Ibis take advantage of her inattention and attack.

Here was the part that always made Xandra terrified. It was watching the weapon show itself on the outside of Ibis that unnerved her completely. It was such a monstrous process; she was certain that the scientists who created it knew that the revulsion and fear it caused was yet another advantage. Ibis's head finally curled down and gave Xandra a rest from the staring contest. Ibis shuddered and growled softly. Her fingernails, which were delicate and gentle looking, now glowed pink as well and dug deep into the metal of the hanger platform. Another whimper from the observers; this time it sounded like the pilot. Ibis's hair fluttered as she shook again, but she fell still and sighed in a satisfied way. It was silent now; no one spoke or moved or, Xandra was sure, breathed.

Just when they thought nothing was going to happen, Ibis jerked her head up and _screamed_ at Xandra with all her strength, her mouth wide and displaying the most chilling set of dark pink fangs in place of her normal, slightly uneven teeth. Her eyes were no longer blue, but red and bloodshot and provoked. Ibis's roar pierced the empty night and echoed dreadfully against the sky. Once it faded, it was replaced by another one that made Xandra, despite her hard resolve to never show her fear, flinch and shiver and grimace. It sounded like a death cry, a wild cat's roar, a human's despair, a hawk's triumph all rolled into one ghastly screech. As Ibis let out the second one, her skin erupted and sprouted sickeningly bright pink spikes along her spine, all the way down to her tailbone, long and menacing. Now her nails were yanked out of the metal flooring and became luminous talons. The hair on the back of her head bristled and shuddered on its own. A heavy, animalistic pant puffed from between those horrific, grinning fangs, and the transformation was complete. Now only a shred of Ibis was left, deep inside her subconscious, as it always was. It would stay there until something strong enough to wake it called it back, made it remember that it was human. A wet, raspy chuckle followed the exhalation, and the grin, if it was possible, grew exponentially. Xandra's instant instinct was to run, but her training held her fast to the spot she stood on.

Ibis's eyes widened a split second before she sprang. Sprinting at Xandra, she raised her claws and stabbed forward, and she would've hit her right shoulder if Xandra hadn't snapped out of the way. She pivoted on her left foot and swung the whip backwards with her momentum putting force behind it. The crystal points along the leather length of it prickled to life and prepared to strike. As she span, her right foot lifted off the pavement and tucked itself in close to her left leg, spinning her even faster. Her whip twirled and aimed at Ibis's exposed right flank. Quick as lightning, Ibis's right hand shot out and caught the whip. An electrical jolt zapped visibly through Ibis's body, but if it hurt she didn't show it. She only screamed again and wrapped the whip quickly around her hand and yanked. Xandra didn't allow it to budge, only wrapped her end of the weapon around her own hand. No tug-of-war took place because of Ibis's impatience. She snorted disdainfully and settled for exercising her strength.

She turned her back on Xandra and placed the whip over her right shoulder, then lifted her arms up, indirectly lifted Xandra off her feet and sent her and her whip flying toward Junko, who caught her and, like she was a ticking time bomb, panicked and threw her right back into the fight. Ibis snarled and those pretty lips of hers curled into a terrifying grimace of hilarity. Xandra fought off another shiver and cracked the hissing whip in her friend's direction, intending to make her back up like an animal in the circus. Once they had been released to show the rest of the Academy, back when they had been just out of special training, they were allowed to fight to see who would win the final match. Obviously they both came out victorious and unparalleled except by each other. But their performance had earned them the titles they now bore, and always would bear. Ibis would always be The Beast, and Xandra would always be The Tamer.

Ibis, however, was not in the least bit cowed by the snapping of electricity near her feet. She didn't move and settled for another staring contest that Xandra refused to participate in. Xandra, testing her opponent's mettle, whipped her weapon around at literal lightning speed and coming closer to Ibis's glowing claws with each strike to the air around her unmoving figure. With only three feet between them now, Xandra became bold and wrapped the whip around Ibis's right calf, jolting The Beast and making it scream in frustration. Ibis's mouth gaped wildly open as she howled, wider than was possible. Her jaw seemed to unhinge as she threw her head back and shook the clouds above. Xandra allowed herself a quick peek before she closed her eyes and tried to shut out the sound. Ibis's body sizzled with the release of energy into her circuitry. It was quite the overload when something like the whip connected with nerves close to the skin, like those along the shinbone.

But she kept her head down too long, and Ibis stopped her howling abruptly, keeping her mouth unhinged and glaring at the whip. She moved faster than ever, turning her upper body and throwing her arms down. Her talons gripped the metal flooring again, this time for support. She lifted her right leg and wrapped it around the whip once more, then let her toughened abdomen stretch as she flipped over and threw Xandra sideways, nearly over the edge of the hanger platform. The whip clattered to the floor around Ibis's right foot, its energy ceasing and fizzling out. The silver glow from its crystals faded out. Xandra pushed herself up and raised her hands when Ibis snapped back into a fighting stance at her movement. She retained eye contact, and then smiled conspiratorially, as if she had something to hide. Her eyes glowed silver before a white-hot line of energy shot out from her pupils. Ibis jerked out of the way just in time, but a few small strands of hair were still sliced clean off. The scent of burned hair became very sharp in the still air. An angry smile quirked Ibis's cheeks and she growled deep in her throat, making the ground tremble badly.

The leader of the crew must have sensed something big coming because he stepped forward bravely between them and yelled, "Hey…HEY! Stop now!" Xandra's glowing irises faded back to their normal hazel, her gaze intent on the intruder. Ibis's unnaturally bright skin flickered and the lines of pink receded from her feet and hands and head inward towards her torso, where they faded somewhere along her diaphragm. Her monstrous appearance disappeared as well, leaving a confused looking, young, innocent girl in its place. Her blue-gray eyes blinked like she didn't know what was happening. The leader watched them both for a minute before he stepped forward cautiously, like they might attack him at any moment. He finally seemed convinced that they weren't about to do that, so he walked to Xandra and held out a hand to help her up from her crouch. Ibis walked calmly to the two of them like she deserved an explanation for something, probably why there were scorch marks on the ripped up metal floor.

"Okay…uh…wow. I've never seen anything like that before…in my entire career as a Sky Knight. You…at once I know exactly why you weren't chosen and wonder why you weren't. It seems that both of you are very dangerous, but you are at least controlling whatever power you each have. Having you on my team would make us an even more formidable front against Cyclonia. I'm guessing we've only seen a fraction of what you can do." Ibis and Xandra nodded together like someone telling them that they were death machines was no big deal. "So…I'm taking a big risk here by saying this…would you two like to become Storm Hawks?" Xandra looked at Ibis, who returned her questioning gaze. Then they turned to the leader and smiled identical, satisfied smiles. "Good. I hope that you keep your tempers in check, though. I've got a great team here, and I don't want to have to replace any of them any time soon. My name is Aerrow, ladies. Welcome to the Storm Hawks." He smiled and gestured to the rest of his team, who still stood gaping slightly.

As Aerrow "woke" his petrified teammates, Xandra saw Junko watching Ibis intently. A spark of worry flashed in his big, brown eyes, and Xandra began chewing on her lower lip when she saw right through that worry to the intense fear underneath. She was the only one who knew about Ibis's past, about her mother, and about the bartender's inevitable fate. Ibis had let her past trail her and control her every action like a puppet master manipulating the strings of his puppet all through the Academy. She had always looked faintly haunted. Xandra had thought that, with this new boy, Ibis might be able to start over and finally feel normal and accepted like a regular 18-year-old girl should. But she had a strange feeling that, if Junko didn't have the strength to accept her friend, murder and all, he wouldn't be able to make Ibis happy the way she deserved to be.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Four

Ibis sat down at the Storm Hawks' conference table, the one in the main deck of the Condor, and sighed softly. She fought a little to keep her eyelids open. That huge rush of power, that feeling of being at least one step closer to that which she believed she was meant to be…it was a drug. But it was tiring. All the adrenaline had flushed out of her limbs when the cybernetics powered down. Now she was shaky and sleepy. It was a good thing that their fight had lasted so long that the Commissions Office for the Academy was shut down for the night. She didn't think she had enough energy to do more than go to their dorm room and get her belongings. Aerrow had graciously offered them a spare room on the Condor, even though they would have to share it for a short time while the boys of the 'Hawks got another storage room cleared out. Xandra and Ibis didn't mind; they'd been rooming together since they became friends. Ibis barely swallowed a large yawn and scrubbed her eyes with her knuckles. She felt Junko's gaze on her and she wondered if her scary performance had turned him off to any idea of attraction to her. He seemed like he was a little perturbed by it, but she felt a flicker of affection from him as she yawned again. Did she look cute when she yawned or something?

"Are you tired?" Junko sat down on her left; but not too closely, she noticed. She smiled a little.

"No, I felt like catching flies." He chuckled and she felt some tension ease out of his shoulders. He reclined on the sofa, carefully putting his arm around the part of the couch that she was leaning against. She sat a while, feeling the warmth of his skin just a few inches from her neck. "Just so you know…I'm not crazy."

"I know…. That was just kind of…out there."

"Mmm. But it feels great." Ibis stretched languidly back, her hair and arms lightly brushing his arm. She heard him take in a slight breath. She peeked over at him as she stretched; he was looking at her figure, now taut and lithe from the stretch. He swallowed softly and murmured something. "What was that?"

Junko shook his head a little and looked away from her, blushing hard. "I-I said, 'I bet it does'."

Deciding to push the envelope a little, Ibis subtly unlaced the first lace of her bodysuit and fanned her face. It was a bit warm on the Condor, anyway. She played the innocent card. "Is it always so hot in here?" She leaned back and looked at him almost pleadingly. His eyes flicked to her top and he blushed. She could feel her face coloring too, but she continued fanning herself and pretended that her pink skin was only because of the heat. It was summer, after all.

"Nnn…. well, not usually. Today it's been hotter than ever…" Ibis smiled a little bit; Xandra's playacting bit really worked! She was actually having a conversation with a cute guy that implied at something sensuous…and it surprised her. She was never this forward. Maybe the 'netics had given her a little morale boost. She guessed that she didn't want to leave that dangerously powerful feeling behind…and was she ever powerful now! The lusty look in his brown eyes told her that she held him under her spell.

But unfortunately the pilot of the Condor, that creepily handsome Merb, chose that moment to come slithering into the bridge and hop over the back of the couch to land on Ibis's right. He blew a strand of ink-black hair out of his face and then leaned close to Ibis. "So…"

Ibis continued fanning her face and ignored him, feeling bold enough to silently tell him that she was tired of his rudeness.

"I'm sorry for my reaction of you and your friend."

She didn't give him the time to go on. "You should be; it was very impolite."

"I know. I'm just…I don't trust people easily. It's just not in my nature."

"I understand what you mean, Stork. Only the paranoid survive." She turned and smiled at him warmly. His long, sad face perked up a little at her expression and a genuine smile of his own grew on his thin lips.

"That's what I've tried to tell these people for years!" Stork gestured wildly around him, probably referring to his crewmates. "But they never listen to ol' Stork; no, they'd rather go and get everyone and their uncle eaten or blown up or killed. The reason I stay on this ship is that I _know _it's safe. I'm the one who comes out of an 'adventure' unscathed for the most part." Ibis listened politely, nodding at the appropriate times in his rant, but secretly she was only partly paying attention. The majority of her focus was on riling Junko up. She could still feel the heat of his gaze and the intensity of his lust, barely diminished despite Stork's presence and fevered conversation.

Finally, Stork calmed down and took a much-needed deep breath. He looked spent on the fact that he was underappreciated, so he changed topic. "By the way, what…what was that thing?"

"What thing?" Ibis paused in her ladylike fanning to arch a pink eyebrow at Stork.

"That pink stuff that grew out of you. What was it? And where did it go?"

"Oh." Ibis held up the hand that had been cooling her and concentrated for a moment. Luminous talons grew out of her cuticles, overlapping her normal nails. She heard Junko's sharp intake of breath. Stork flinched backward for a second before he leaned closer and examined the cybernetics. With no regard for his own safety or Ibis's personal space, he lifted both his hands and made a move as if to cradle her hand like he would a delicate butterfly hovering in the air. The constant glow of the crystal energy made Stork's yellow eyes a sickly color now as he moved closer still and approached her hand from a multitude of angles from his seat. He was at least careful enough to not touch the talons themselves, but he softly held each individual finger between an index finger and thumb. "I'd be happy to tell you the story sometime. I'm sure you'd be very interested."

Stork nodded numbly and gently let her fingers go. He backed away to a reasonable distance and sighed as Ibis willed the talons to shrink back into her skin. "How durable are they? They look like pure energy; there aren't any metal supports in them, are there?"

"There sure aren't. I'd be dead from all that metal that I'd have to carry around. And they are pure energy, yes. They can slice through just about anything." Junko shifted slightly to be included in the conversation now that his curiosity was peaked.

"So how do you keep all that crystal energy in your body, if it can go through anything?"

"I asked the scientists at the Academy that same question. They told me a secret about a bio-friendly metal alloy that they invented. It was created just for the purpose of containing this specific energy while also _not _being at all harmful to my entire body. They made the tiniest containment cells from the alloy and implanted them in several small parts of my nervous system where I could spare the room. The energy is automatically drawn to these containment cells using their different polarities and stored there until I can draw them out. Miniature highways for the energy were also constructed and laid out on my nerve pathways so I didn't hurt or kill myself when I used the energy."

"Wow. That's some pretty intense stuff." The girl with the raven-colored hair, whose name Ibis now knew as Piper, leaned over the back of the couch. "What kind of crystal energy is being used? I bet it's something venomous, huh?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Ibis nodded and smiled at her. "You don't know how cool it would be to slice you open and check all that hardware out! I'm the crystal expert on the Condor."

Ibis swallowed and had to straighten out her scared smile. "Ah, I hope you aren't going to try to cut me open in the middle of the night…"

"No, no. I just meant…you know what I meant, right? I'm not a psycho, I promise. So, what other secrets did they let you in on? What sort of weakness in the system did they tell you about? You know, so you can be on the lookout for it and avoid it?"

"They did tell me, but they made me swear on my honor as a Sky Knight that I wouldn't reveal it to anyone, not even Xandra. That one weakness would kill me instantly even though it's an extremely small detail."

"Oh." Piper moved around the couch until she could sit beside Stork.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Ibis added a little laugh in her apology.

"I'm not disappointed. I'm just so intrigued by the whole thing; it would be quite the adventure to work out every last detail of how your weapon works. It'd be heaven!" Ibis suddenly became aware of the doors opening just as Piper finished her exclamation. It was Finn, Aerrow, and Xandra. Xandra walked around until she was in front of the huge conference table and then she dropped a good-sized dark red duffel bag on it. Ibis's name was messily stitched into a leather tag on the side. Xandra smirked and looked pointedly at Junko from the corners of her eyes.

"Oh yeah, she's heaven, all right."

"Thanks, Xandra! I completely forgot!" Ibis stood up and pulled her bag over to her, unzipped it, and then rifled through the contents to make sure that everything was there. Xandra turned her attention back to Ibis.

"You're welcome. I even bought us a few celebration presents on the way back." She reached into a side pocket that was nearer to Junko and pulled a black, silky string of fabric out, keeping the rest hidden. "Here is half of yours. I knew you were about a size six from looking at the tags of your other pretty bits." She grinned devilishly. "And you are 36A, aren't you?" She pulled a matching circle of similar fabric from the same pocket. It was obvious that it was a bra from the straps that dangled off the edges. Ibis blushed furiously and grabbed the lingerie from her friend and stuffed it in the main part of her bag. She lightly smacked Xandra's other hand away, which was still holding what Ibis assumed was (gulp) a thong. Zipping up the bag and hiding all her worldly possessions from the boys' prying eyes, she set her hands on the table and made almost a somersault over the edge. Her feet hit the table with barely a sound and she straightened up swiftly before she reached down and grabbed her bag. "Gonna go try them on?"

She pointed an accusing finger at Xandra, who now beamed innocently. "You're a menace." She walked to the edge and hopped off deftly. She whirled on Stork and Junko and pointed warningly at them, making Stork flinch a little. "And _you _saw nothing." A strange wriggling feeling in her lower stomach started when she glanced at Junko's flushed face, her earlier sexual confidence now gone in the face of company. She stalked past everyone and out of the sliding doors toward her shared room.

When Ibis got to the small room, she closed the door and dumped her bag on one of the sleeping bags someone had kindly put in the empty bed frames for her and Xandra until they purchased mattresses of their own. She sat down next to her duffel and heaved a great sigh while she rubbed her eyes with her thumb and first two fingers. When she raised her head, she saw a long body-length mirror leaning up against the wall across from her near the foot of Xandra's sleeping bag. "Hmm." She stood and walked to it, her reflection giving her a scrutinizing look. She finger-combed her ruffled hair and smoothed down the strands that stuck up defiantly at the part. Then she turned around one way, then the other, examining her (lacking, in her opinion) curves. She found a few things that she liked, like the striking angle of the small of her back, her generous but humble backside, and the length of her legs. A thought crossed unbidden in her mind, and she glanced at her duffel's reflection in the mirror…

She stripped down quickly, throwing her Ex-Mag, industrial-strength, black steel boots on the floor and her bodysuit on her "bed". In her underwear, she removed the new lingerie from the top of her pile of clothing in her bag. The bra was demi-cup style, the kind that fit her small breasts just so, with dark red lace along the top of the cup and a front clasp, and the panties turned out to be, yes, thong-like in nature. The only thing about the thong that she found endearing was the little inch and a half of matching dark red lace that hung in a kind of skirt from the waistband. She listened to the silence for a moment, wondering if she dared try them on and encourage Xandra into more teasing at her and Junko's expense. Convinced that one try with them wouldn't hurt, she took in a steadying breath and put down the new underwear while she removed the old.

Surprisingly, the gifts from Xandra fit perfectly. Ibis didn't like the strange wedgie-like sensation she got from the bottoms, but when she turned first one way then the other with them on, she changed her mind. Her reflection smiled and she stepped lightly to her bag. She sat down and pulled on a pair of patent-leather black strap heels, then returned to the mirror. She felt her confidence rise supremely as she glimpsed what looked like a sex kitten watching her from the surface of the glass. Just for fun she stepped so she could see only on side of her body, brought her arms up to bury her hands in her hair at the back of her head and lowered her eyelids to half-mast to give her a seductive look. She planted her feet apart and leaned her weight on one foot, tilting her hips to one side. Curling her lower back so her butt stuck out, she removed one hand from her hair and trailed it down her abdomen to hook her thumb in the waistband of her panties. She licked her lips at her reflection and felt a naughty thrill from seeing this strange, sexy creature that looked like her.

Just then, the sliding of the doors to her and Xandra's room opened with a _swish_. Assuming it was Xandra, she laughed and reverted back to her familiar self, still peering at her body with the mirror. "Thanks for these, Xan. They're hot and they fit great! What do you think?" She twirled on one foot and stopped to place a hand on the corner post of Xandra's bed frame. Striking another provocative pose by arching her back inward and flaunting her legs and butt one more time, she whipped her head back and turned on the smoky/sex kitten eyes to get her friend laughing. Just one problem, though…it wasn't Xandra standing in the doorway.

Junko made a funny choking noise as his face turned a shade of deep scarlet. His eyes raced down her body and he huffed softly, like the wind had been knocked out of him, when his eyes came back up to her derriere. He swallowed as he locked gazes with Ibis. In that split second, Ibis's mind panicked and she yelped, stumbling backward and falling over the edge of Xandra's footboard onto the hard wood surface of the inside of the frame. Her tailbone now sore, she covered her breasts with her arms and squeezed her eyes shut, blushing an embarrassed pink and wishing she could disappear.

"Oh, geez, Ibis, I'm so sorry!" She pried an eye open to see that Junko had, mercifully covered his own eyes with one large hand and was holding himself up against the doorjamb with the other. "I didn't mean to-…I mean I didn't know you were-…you know?" His voice cracked and shook as he tried to wheedle out an apology to her. He stiffened and turned around as if to go. "You…" He paused to pant and clear his throat. "You look really beautiful in those, by the way." He turned and opened his mouth to say more, but nothing came forth. Ibis opened both her eyes and watched him. Her eyes scanned him, but she slammed her eyelids back together when she noticed the front of his pants beginning to tent. And Junko, she realized again, was big all over, even _there_.

"Thanks…" She pushed herself up and let her heels clack slightly on the metal floor to signal to Junko that she didn't want him to leave quite yet. She walked over to him and alternately pulled him down by his raised arm and stood on her tiptoes. She gave him a soft kiss on the nose, or, more accurately, the slight horn that grew there. She felt him stiffen again at the kiss. As she settled down to the floor again, her body accidentally brushed against him and his "problem". They both blushed again and Ibis made a light "oh" noise while Junko stifled a deep groan. "Um, you should probably go…" Junko nodded vigorously and turned to leave, the doors opening to reveal Xandra standing there with her own duffel bag. She moved silently out of his way as he rushed blind down the corridor to his room.

Xandra's wide eyes followed him for a moment, then widened even more when she saw what Ibis was wearing. A smirk grew on her face again and she purred. "Damn, no wonder he was popping wood. You look good enough to eat." Ibis giggled and clicked back to her bed, where she lay on the soft fabric of the sleeping bag. "You'd better be careful if you're wearing those to bed, Ibis," Xandra said as she went to her bed and set her duffel on it. "If Junko doesn't find his way back and have his dirty way with you, I will." She chuckled darkly as Ibis moaned in a tortured way and covered her smiling face with her hands.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Five

"I'm tellin' you, Finn, you wouldn't be saying mean things about Ibis's appearance if you'd seen her, wearing what she was wearing! She even had heels on!" Junko moved around the galley of the Condor, trying to find something to put together for a suitable breakfast. He wanted to make up for walking in on Ibis a few nights ago. The last week had been pretty awkward. She would try to talk to him, but whenever he tried to reply, in his mind the image of her in those panties and heels made his throat close and his pants tighten. So if he could just make her a nice meal maybe that would make him feel less guilty. He finally found something that looked appetizing in the fridge and pulled it out.

Finn sat at the island, trying to launch a fork off a seesaw kind of construction he made with a knife and spoon. He was aiming at the sink underneath the window, but was failing horribly. He kept making it drop on the floor. "So what? I just don't think she's that hot. You, Junko, you've never really spotted true babes before." He hit the spoon again, lifting and throwing the fork above his head, but because he was distracted he didn't hit hard enough and it landed in his lap. "I mean, she's cute in a little girl way, but she's hardly worth a boner. Now Xandra, _she's_ got it goin' on!" Finn looked at what Junko was preparing for breakfast. "What're you trying to do, make her puke?"

Junko glanced down at the fruit he was cutting up. It smelled fine to him and it was ripe; it was at the perfect time in its life to be eaten. _Just like Ibis_, a little voice in the back of his head thought. He blushed and quickly pushed that thought away. "No, why? This fruit isn't that bad. I've had it a few times and it's very tasty. Want to try some?" He held a slice out to his friend, who held up a guarding hand and leaned away from it.

"I'll pass. Seriously, big guy, you can stomach _anything_. What makes you so sure that Ibis will want it?"

"There's nothing wrong with it, Finn." Junko added an edge to his voice and turned back around to continue cutting through the pale green skin and deep red meat of the fruit. It smelled sour and tangy and salty all at once. It made his mouth water, but he made himself hold off until Ibis had tried it. He really hoped that she would like it.

Ibis pulled her Ex-Mags on and stood to walk to the mirror, pulling a fine-tooth comb through her drying hair. Xandra was busy putting a very small braid in a front strand of her own hair, absently weaving a blonde chunk of hair with a black one.

"I wish he would stop acting like I'm going to bite him. I'm not that bad-looking, am I?" She paused in her concentrated brushing and gazed fearfully at her friend.

If Xandra was annoyed by this over-used topic, she didn't show it. Ibis was constantly bugging her with her own insecurities that it was no wonder that Xandra was so confident of her own looks. But sometimes Ibis would worry too much and beat the proverbial dead horse again and again…

"You are, to put it plainly, a knock-out hottie. Don't stress. He's probably just still amazed that you're in the same crew as he is and that you're single. You're flower is ready to be plucked, and he can sense that!" Ibis blushed at the mere thought of any "flower plucking", especially with Junko. Then her thoughts turned down a darker path and she wondered, from what she'd seen that night on him, how they would ever be able to fit together.

"Maybe, but how would that work? I've…done some self-exploration before, but it's only been with two fingers…" She flushed a deeper pink just talking about it. "But you saw him, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't even…you know." She stopped as her mind brought up the image of him partially aroused at the sight of her. She swallowed and found that her throat was very dry.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with getting a little stretched. Do it gradually, though, if you do, because I'd wager a guess that he wasn't at half-mast that night. And he was packing some serious firepower even then." She paused for a moment while she twisted a little rubber band around the end of her finished braid. "He's a pretty big specimen all over, so if it comes to sex, start with one of his fingers and then move on to bigger bits as you get used to it." She unfolded her legs from their crossed position and swung them over the edge of the new mattress that she had bought just two days ago.

Ibis could feel her face heat up to maximum as she envisioned something so intimate with this prospective boy. A familiar tightening of muscles below the belt made her shiver, and she could almost hear a voice softly encouraging her to relax. Her mind was plunged into thoughts of a darkened room and soft, thick sheets that smelled masculine pillowing her from behind. A faceless body leaned over hers, larger and comforting. She could feel a gentle, callous-y hand running down her naked skin, from her ribcage to her bottom…but it didn't feel very big at all. Definitely not like she thought Junko's would be compared to her own body.

She snapped her eyes open and realized that Xandra was saying her name louder and louder. She blinked and shook her head. "What? Sorry, I spaced off."

"I said, let's go to the galley. I'm starved." Xandra was out the door now, leaning into the room and fixing Ibis with a curious stare, probably wondering if she was okay. "What were you thinking about?" A smirk started to appear on her face. "Did it have something to do with Junko and his, ah, junk?" She laughed at her own humor, then at Ibis's reaction, which was groaning and hiding herself from view as she put her comb in her duffel bag on the floor.

"Just don't let on to the others that we're having these kinds of conversation. I don't think Aerrow would appreciate a couple of horny new crewmates on board making everybody riled up."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Junko sighed in a satisfied way, putting his hands on his hips and taking in the sight of his masterpiece. He could just see the look on Ibis's face when she saw it. He'd arranged the little sections of the colorful fruit in a spiral pattern, putting a piece that he'd painstakingly carved into a round ball in the center of it all. Then he'd carefully and artfully drizzled melted chocolate on each piece; nothing fancy, just soft little squiggles. The chocolate had even been from his own private stash of candy, which was nothing now that he'd used the last piece he'd had left over on this dish. His stomach rumbled at the smell of the food, but he kept his hunger at bay with the thought of her enjoying his gift. He lifted the platter delicately with both hands and moved it to the island, gently brushing Finn's silverware trebuchet aside. Finn made a disgusted face at the platter and moved his creation off the tabletop just as Xandra and Ibis walked through the doorway.

When they both saw the food on the table and smelled the chocolate, they smiled. But Finn caught Xandra's eye and gestured to first the food, then to Junko, and then pulled his index finger across his throat. He had told her about Junko's culinary skills and tastes. Piper walked in behind them and glanced at the platter before she puttered around getting a cup and putting water in a teakettle.

When Junko laid eyes on Ibis, he looked a little nervous, but he took a breath and addressed her. "I thought you might like something a little different today. I made it myself." He added the end in a way he hoped sounded casual but implied that he had put quite the effort into it. Ibis smiled wider and thanked him, telling him that that was really sweet of him. Xandra knew from experience that Ibis could be a real rug a great majority of the time; she was always polite to the point where she would put the other person's feelings before her own needs, in this case her own safety. Xandra hoped that Ibis wouldn't go so far as to actually ingest whatever that was sitting on the plate under the chocolate. Even though it looked harmless, she was sure that something bad would happen. Ibis's digestive system was a little delicate. She had to be selective with what she ate. Her lactose intolerance was a prime example. If she ate something with even a little bit of cheese in it, she was incapacitated for the rest of the following day. So when Xandra saw her friend reach for a slice of the food on the platter, she panicked on the inside. Now she could detect a slightly rancid smell beneath the chocolate. Ibis didn't look like she noticed it, though.

"That looks almost _too _good to eat, huh?" Xandra tried to sound offhanded.

"Almost. But I thought you were starving, Xan." Ibis's fingers finally reached a slice and gently picked it up, holding it in a place with no chocolate. She politely asked what it was. Xandra interrupted Junko.

"Yeah, but that looks more like dessert than breakfast, doesn't it?"

Ibis nodded a little. "Sure it does. But a little sugar for breakfast never hurt anyone." She winked at Junko, who swallowed and turned a slight shade of red.

"Don't you want to save it, though?" Aerrow and Stork and the odd little furry thing that she knew was named Radarr came into the galley, going about getting their own meals. "Aerrow, don't you have some bit mission planned right away today?"

He turned and regarded her with a nod. "Definitely. But it can wait until after we eat." Behind Ibis's back, Xandra made an impatient gesture at him. Finn began whispering an answer to Piper's question about the food on the island. Stork leaned in and listened while he eyed the fruit.

"I don't need to save it; I'm so hungry." Ibis licked her lips and went to take a bite of the piece she had between her thumb and index. The crew watched her with bated breath. Everyone but Junko lunged out and shouted "NO!" before her teeth bit into the piece. Ibis stopped and started. She gazed around at them disbelievingly. "What is _wrong _with you guys? It's just food!"

Finn solved the mystery and pointed at the platter. "Junko has an iron gut. He can eat just about anything and call it good. But he's made us all sick like dogs before." Junko hung his head and reddened shamefully and went to pick the platter up. Ibis put her hand on his.

"Stop. There's nothing wrong with trying something new. And if I'm sick because of it, well, I've always recovered pretty fast from being sick. I'm not scared of a little new cuisine." She looked Junko in the eye while she told him this. He looked doubtful but left the plate on the tabletop. Ibis nodded once at him to reassure him, then took a bite of the fruit. Everyone watched silently.

Her eyes widened slowly as she chewed. She paused and closed her eyes as she swallowed. Her expression was unreadable. A few seconds passed before she raised her eyelids again. A genuine smile spread across her lips and she popped the other half of the piece in her mouth, chewing with gusto. Xandra's mouth dropped open; so did everybody else's. Ibis made a sound of contentment in her throat and she grabbed another piece and downed it quickly. Sucking the chocolate off her fingers, she giggled and winked at Junko again. He just gaped at her.

"That's delicious!" She snagged another slice and waggled it at Xandra. "It's really not bad. Try it."

"Ah, no, that's okay. I'll pass." She backed up politely as Ibis shrugged and slipped the whole slice in her own mouth. Finn intervened.

"Just wait. That's going to get to you eventually." Ibis looked at him skeptically and shook her head as if to say "What nonsense".

"What kind of fruit is this? I love it!" She continued eating it as Junko replied that it was a delicacy of his race: the Kruki fruit. "Well, help me eat all this! I don't want to be a pig about it!" She picked up a piece and held it out for him. He smiled and plucked it from her fingers with his teeth, pausing a moment longer than necessary to give her what Xandra would call "bedroom eyes" before he jerked his head back, tossed the slice into the air and caught it in his mouth.

After breakfast, Aerrow led the 'Hawks into the bridge for a quick briefing of the mission. Everyone sans Piper and Aerrow sat on the couch, giving the ones standing their full attention. Junko made sure to sit beside Ibis and discreetly put his arm on the bit of couch behind her. She sipped at her mug of tea, which made him think that she didn't notice, but she snuggled her back into the cushions behind her and crossed her left leg over her right so her foot was nearly brushing his leg. Was that a good sign?

"Here's the scoop. Piper says she's found a rare crystal nearby in an underground cave." Piper stepped forward and laid out a map. The crew leaned in and let their eyes flick over the paper.

"This is roughly where it is from here." She traced a finger from a seemingly random point on the map a short distance to a depiction of a mountainous area. "The cave is almost hidden from plain sight. When I was out yesterday I stopped on the cliff face across the chasm from it to chart the territory and I got major readings from the mouth of the cave on my crystal monitor. I've deduced that what I got readings of and what we're going to search for is a shade crystal. There have only been three recorded sightings of such crystals in Atmosia, and the Cyclonian Night Crawlers have stolen all three to power their weapons and light-resistant armor. I'm not really sure how they use the energy of only three crystals to supply an entire six fleets of Crawlers, but they're doing it. And with one more shade crystal, they could have enough energy for another couple of fleets. If we get to that crystal before they do today, we'll be able to take it back to the Academy and have them hide it in a top security vault."

"What exactly does a shade crystal do?" Finn leaned his head on one hand as he asked. Ibis gave him an answer.

"Shade crystals derive their fuel from a lack of light; the darker, the better. If the crystal is worth the attention of these "Night Crawlers", then it must be hidden so deep underground that it's completely hidden in darkness. And that could spell serious trouble for us and anyone they use it on."

"Exactly. That's why we need to find it first."

"Wait. If you saw it on the side of a mountain from a cliff face, how can it be underground?"

"Good question, Stork. When I went closer to investigate, I stepped a few feet into the cave mouth and discovered that the ground slopes drastically downward. I nearly fell in.

"So if that's the case, we'll need to bring out some of our hiking boots. Make sure everyone has a set of crampons and remembers how to secure them tight, Junko." He nodded. "Finn, I need you to give everyone a headlamp, a long coil of rope, and a handset radio. Maybe a mini First Aid kit per person, too." Finn complied by giving her the thumbs up sign. "I want everybody to head to the hanger in five minutes when that's all done, seven tops. Stork, let's talk…" As the rest of the crew got up and disappeared from the bridge, Stork and Piper discussed in fervent voices the conditions for flying and the direction they'd need to go in.

Two minutes later, Junko had just finished reminding Finn of proper protocol if the crampons' outdated, but reliable, straps became loose. He watched as his friend stood and walked away awkwardly on the points of the crampons. When he allowed himself to stop worrying about whether or not Finn would follow the rules with the equipment, he thought about Ibis. She hadn't been to the supply closet for her own spikes, nor had he passed her for safely secured equipment. In fact, he thought, he hadn't seen her since they filed out of the bridge. Xandra hadn't been checked out, either. He went to the closest intercom and pushed the sending button, holding it down as he talked. "Ibis, Xandra, neither of you have been to see me for the crampons." He lifted up on the button and waited.

A crackle came from the box and Ibis's reply came in. "We don't need crampons, Junko. Our boots have built-in spikes." A soft hissing from the intercom told him that she was expecting a reply.

"I'd feel better if I knew you two were safe. Come to the lower level and I'll inspect them." He turned around and went to put his own pair on when a reply came so quickly that he thought for a moment that he imagined it.

"You got it, cutie." He whipped around and stared at the intercom intently like it might hop off the wall and start dancing. He went back to it and hesitated before pushing the button again.

"Ibis? What did you say?" A silence was all that greeted him. He had thought for sure that she had said something. He waved a hand dismissively and started to turn again when the snapping of the intercom system picked up again.

"You heard me."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Six

"Okay, everyone ready? Ibis, Xandra, are you two holding on tight?" Ibis nodded from her seat behind Junko on his Air Skimmer, and Xandra gave the thumbs up from behind Finn on his ride. Ibis felt a little queasy as Junko revved the engine on his Skimmer. Butterflies raged in her stomach, and she knew for a fact that it wasn't the doing of the Kruki fruit. She felt like this every time she sat on a Skimmer. Being implanted with dangerous, experimental nerve system weapons she could handle…being suspended in the air with nothing but skin-thrashing machinery below her and flying at high speeds without any restraints on? She could not handle that at all.

One of her worst, most incurable fears was falling. She wasn't really scared of heights at all. The sensation of falling was what she feared above all things. She thought about being in the pitch-black cave; the base of her spine tingled and a sour feeling in her stomach made her toes curl, but darkness could be cured easily. Piper had given every person two light crystals; she had mentioned that if a Night Crawler was descending upon them, the only way to repel them in any way would be to crack the light crystals together and aim the light directly on the face of their enemy.

But falling? Only solid, sturdy, unbreakable ground beneath her feet could quell any thoughts of dying. Because of her paralyzing fear, the hardest subject in the Academy had been the flying section. If she hadn't told herself that she better do it now or she never would, she wouldn't be where she was now. She tightened her hold on Junko's waist as Aerrow's ride snarled out of the hanger and the Skimmer beneath her started to actually pick up speed. "You do know how to fly this thing, right?" she squeaked out as she waited for the inevitable feeling of weightlessness in her gut.

Junko was waiting for everybody else to go before him. He always brought up the rear, he'd told her earlier. "Of course. I've been doing this for years." He must've picked up on her intense body language because he glanced back and asked in a worried tone, "Why? Are you afraid?" She didn't answer, but only because the floor was now moving away beneath their feet faster and faster; they were going to be in the air soon! Her eyes watered from the change between the dark hanger and the bright outdoors, and she squeezed her eyes shut and tightened her grip yet again on his waist. The hanger doors clanked closed, and then…they dropped right off the platform!

Ibis screamed bloody murder as her stomach felt like it was dropping miles away from her. Just then, the wings of the Skimmer pulled out quickly and the jets fired up, lifting them higher and higher while propelling them forward to catch up with their other crewmates. When they leveled off, a crackle came from a miniature intercom on the slight dashboard of the Skimmer. Aerrow's voice, filled with concern, asked, "Junko, what's happened? We heard a scream." The airbike lurched a tiny bit as Junko took a hand off its handle and pressed the return button. Ibis whimpered at the turbulence.

"It was just Ibis. I think she's scared of heights." Frustrated at herself and embarrassed at the admittance of her fear and the tone of Junko's voice, Ibis felt tears well in her eyes, but she pressed her face into Junko's back and bit her lip hard and fast to shock herself out of crying. Junko reached over and pulled one of her hands gently from its steely grip to hold it and rub it soothingly. "It's okay, Ibis. We're almost there. Stork just can't fit the Condor into the chasm. It's too big. We could only get in with Skimmers. I promise that nothing will happen to you while you're on this bike." Not feeling any safer with that promise, she decided to concentrate on the back-and-forth motion of his thumb running across her skin. Her fear ebbed a tiny bit as she pictured her hand being dwarfed by his, a small snowy feather among large grains of sun-darkened sand. At the mention of sand, the rhythmic sound of waves crashing on a shore echoed in her mind and she felt some of the butterflies flutter out of existence. Her grip loosened, but not a great deal, and Junko seemed satisfied that she was at least relaxing a little. She noticed that he kept his hand on hers, though.

Just as Junko had promised, soon they were touching down on a huge solid slab of stone, the outcropping that Piper had said was just around the corner to the cave opening. She pointed out the one she had alighted on yesterday. It was a good thing that it was only big enough for one Skimmer, Ibis thought. If they had landed on that one, she wouldn't have made it if they had had to resort to rappelling across the yawning, bottomless-looking chasm. She carefully stepped off the bike after literally peeling her arms off of Junko's waist, and her legs shook so much that she had to lean against the wall behind her. She slumped down and held her head in her trembling hands. She heard Junko kneel down next to her and rub her back. "You okay?" A pair of feet appeared next to him, but Ibis couldn't see whom they belonged to. Aerrow's voice floated to her ears.

"Is she alright?" Silence ensued. Then she heard him crouch down next to her. "Ibis?" She looked up and focused on Aerrow's face. "Why didn't you tell us that you were afraid of heights?"

It took a moment before she found her voice. "I didn't think we'd be flying in like that. And I'm not afraid of heights; I'm afraid of falling from high places." _Bathophobia_, she recalled.

"Are you going to be able to do this with us?" His words stung just enough to pull her to her feet.

"I'm not going to punk out on my first try as a part of a team." She said it more to herself than to Aerrow, but he stood with Junko and nodded.

"Okay. If you feel faint at all, though, just tell Junko. I'll pair you two up for now. He'll take care of you. But don't let that affect your performance. I want you to do your best." She didn't meet his eye but nodded in agreement anyway. Her vision was a little spotted from standing up so fast. Feeling a tad bit dizzy from the head rush, she quickly put a hand out to brace herself against the wall. Junko made a movement like he was going to catch her if she fell, but she just waved him away and went back to the Skimmer to get the small backpack that she had lashed to the bit of seat behind her.

The cave mouth before her was just as imposing as the open sky or the chasm had been below her. Even though it was roughly noon, the darkness was complete because of the way the doorway was hidden from the light. There was no telling what the ground would be like on the way in. Aerrow flicked the switch on his headlamp on and shone it on the floor of the cave entrance as he stepped in. Everyone crowded to look around him. Piper had been right; the ground looked like it just about dropped into nothing a few feet away from the toes of Aerrow's hiking boots. The soil was rocky and packed, resembling stone. Ibis figured that eventually the floor did become stone at some point.

Aerrow took a breath and then felt around with one foot over the edge of the drop for the next "step"; he must have found it because his waist then disappeared. He kept disappearing until the only visible bits of him were his shoulders and his head. Piper kept her lamp trained on him as if she were afraid of him vanishing altogether. Aerrow looked around the floor where he was for another way to go, then must have decided on a route because he ordered everyone to turn on their lamps, secure their crampons, shoulder their packs, and prepare to descend. After his orders had been followed, he described the layout of the first few steps and turned to go. Piper kept right on his tail, and Finn and Xandra followed right after her.

Ibis hesitated, feeling strange in a peculiar way. The funny thing was that she wasn't scared to go in; she felt curious like she had only once before, when she had first discovered her true religion. The logical side of her brain said that she was facing what could be death and she was not in her right mind to be curious about anything in the cave. But the part of her that was religious…she closed her eyes momentarily and whispered a quick prayer to the goddess Issmosa for safe passage into unknown territory and to reveal the secret she hid here. She knew that the goddess wasn't even a human deity, but she trusted her even more for that reason. The goddess was part of a circle of deities that watched over the reptilian citizens of the world, the Raptors. She was often laughed at while at the Academy when she prayed to Issmosa the Kind under her breath. The belief system was just what Ibis had been looking for the answers to her problems and opinions. She was mostly drawn to Issmosa because of the stories of her undying trust, matchmaking guidance, and motherly gentleness for the ones that prayed to her.

Junko nudged Ibis along softly when the bobbing lights of their friends got smaller and less discernible. She whispered a "thank you" to Issmosa, and then clambered to the edge of the first step, dropping fearlessly to the next step because she knew that it was there. Junko fell in behind her, promising that he wouldn't let anything come up behind her. She just kept moving.

What felt like hours later, Aerrow announced that the path diverged in several different directions. There looked to be more than four tunnels. He assigned a pair of crewmembers to a tunnel, saying that he couldn't afford to have people disappear while alone. He took a tunnel with Piper, had Finn and Xandra go one way, and had Ibis and Junko go another. The darkness went on forever, but the light in her lamp made her feel better about the shadows that swallowed her. Piper had said that even though she had the crystal energy locater, she couldn't be sure that the crystal was anywhere because its power was shadow, and there was quite a bit of shadow here. The crystal was known to be a dark purple color, almost black. But in this lack of light, they would be able to spot it easily.

Junko kept one large hand on her left shoulder for a long time, occasionally squeezing her gently and rubbing his thumb along her neck as if to remind her that he was still there if she became scared again. But the darkness was no longer terrifying to Ibis because she knew that Issmosa would show her the location of the thing she sought. She just didn't know if what she truly sought was the shade crystal. They talked only to confirm directions, the layout of the floor, the next step. Their quietness was only for the benefit of making the Cyclonian Special Ops, if indeed they were here in the cave with them, believe that the Crawlers were alone.

Soon, though, the path broke off into three. Junko then had no choice but to part with Ibis. "It's against my better judgment, but the sooner we find that crystal, the better." He hugged her softly but firmly and then turned to go. He stopped, however, which puzzled Ibis. When she shone her light near his face so she didn't blind him, she saw the conflicting emotions there. He lifted a hand and brushed her cheek with his thumb. The soft, loving gesture surprised Ibis, made her blush. His face was a little pink too. Suddenly, but not abruptly, he pulled her against him and kissed her. It wasn't wet or slimy or unpleasant, just a tender pressing of lips on lips. It was sweet; it reminded her of the fruit he'd prepared for her that morning. The fruit itself wasn't particularly sweet, but the gesture was. A tingle erupted in her belly, but didn't run laps up and down her spine like it did when she was first kissed. Maybe that was a one-time thing?

When they pulled apart, Ibis felt a little guilty. Right now, she was so focused on what Issmosa was going to show her that she didn't think she could feel much of anything else, not even a rush of excitement that Junko clearly liked her as more than a friend or a fluttery bird of happiness in her chest that she could finally have a normal life again, just curiosity that had nothing to do with Junko. This morning she would have been so completely smitten with the fact that he'd kissed her that she would've kissed him back for ages.

When he disappeared wordlessly down the leftmost tunnel, she turned to the other two and felt a tug coming from the right one. She jogged in and immediately cursed and chastised herself for not checking for dips in the floor because she tripped and fell flat on her face when a bump jumped under her foot. Her lamp shattered, throwing her into darkness as impenetrable as the stone around it. She didn't move, fear of the shadows dribbling cold drops down her spine. She just thought. Piper had said not to use the light crystals unless they saw signs of or heard a Night Crawler. They had to conserve the energy just in case. Then she had a (literally) brilliant idea.

She stood, dusted herself off, and concentrated. Her own crystal energy flowed out of her nerves and shone brightly on the walls, illuminating the scenery around her with a radius of about two and a half feet in every direction. Her pink glow made her feel much better, and if a Night Crawler decided to come sniffing, she'd slice it clean through before it had time to lift a finger in defense of itself. She had no idea what a Night Crawler looked like, but she would be ready for anything.

Just then, she heard something that wasn't the crunch of stones under her boots, the drip of water off stalactites to the pools of water below them, or the hush of the murk all around. Ibis stopped to listen. She cocked her head to the side, pointing both ears at opposite directions of the tunnel. If it was Junko, she'd hear it with her left ear; if not, it was ahead of her. The cry came from before her. She tried to decipher it but with all the echoes in the caves, she couldn't be sure what it could be. She lightly and swiftly ran ahead, halting at junctions to listen again. Finally the cry became so garbled that she gathered courage and shouted clearly, "Whoever you are, do you need help?" There was a pause as her voice rang off the cave walls. Then the voice came again with something that sounded like "yes". She was getting closer.

Just when she thought that she would be running and randomly choosing directions forever, she heard a masculine whine from a cavernous tunnel, one that gaped larger than the other ones. Its stalactites were even larger around and longer than the ones she'd seen before. And the walls weren't just a nondescript black stone; now they were a sandy brown like the ones at the very entrance of the caves where sunlight shone. She sped up, the voice becoming clearer with every step.

She burst out of the tunnel and nearly threw herself off a cliff. Her talons shot out as she reached for the edge of the cliff and dug into the stone. She willed the energy to become a little more solid and yanked herself up quickly. Once she caught her breath and calmed the recurring butterflies in her gut, she leaned over the edge and called out softly. "Hello?" There was a silence so long that she felt stupid for trying to communicate with a dark chasm much like the one at the beginning. Then…

"H-hello?" She glanced straight down, peering sightlessly into the mouth of the abyss, wondering if it truly was the lightless ravine that she was talking to. "Wha-why are you tho pink?" Two thoughts occurred to her then: if it was the ravine, it had a lisp and a sort of low, scratchy male voice. But it couldn't be because ravines didn't have eyes to see that she was shining bright pink.

"Are you in trouble? Where are you?" she asked. The voice sounded so close, so she reached down and extended her claws as far as they would go. "Don't be scared; these aren't to hurt you." The claws stopped growing, and she saw what she was looking for: hands hanging on to an outcropping of rock close to the face of the cliff. There was a face there somewhere, but the glowing of her claws didn't reach far enough. Only a pale outline of a face was shown. "Okay…okay, I see your hands. Hang on," she told the person, then grimaced at the unintended pun. "I have a length of rope. If you wait for a moment more, I'll be able to tie it so you can safely grab hold and I'll pull you up." She waited for confirmation. "Okay?"

"Y-yeah. Shure." The _s _was slurred slightly as if the lisp was becoming too lazy to show itself all the way. Ibis pulled her hand back up and retracted her talons so she could remove the rope from her pack and begin tying a huge, thick knot in the very end of it. Then she tied the other end tightly around her waist above her hips with the knotted end hanging behind her like a very long tail. She backed herself up to the cliff and kicked the knotted bit off the edge. She pressed a button on her black choker necklace, the one she never took off except to shower, and the spikes on her boots shot out, lifting her two inches in the air. She dug her left boot in the solid stone and shimmied her hips over the brink so the knot would be near the person's hands. A grunt from below told her that the person had been hit in the head with the knot. "Sorry. That's the rope. Grab on tight." She felt a little tugging and brought her talons out again to cut into the stone with a slight screeching noise. "Grab with both hands; I've got you."

There was a scuffling noise, and whoever it was down there shouted up, "Okay, I'm ready." Once she gathered her strength, Ibis dug her other boot's spikes into the ground and strained hard to lift the person up, up, up onto level soil. When she heard scrambling sounds behind her that indicated the person could pull themselves onto the floor, she stopped and lay on her back, panting from the exertion of keeping the glowing going and from the yanking. She gulped precious air and sat up.

"Okay, um, sir, I need you to come here. I need to check you for injuries. Are you hurt?" She held up a talon-less hand and motioned for her rescued fellow to come forward. A shuffling noise inched toward her, and when the person's face came into view, she gasped softly in wonderment. _A real Raptor! _


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends. Also, sorry for the wait. My Internet server was down.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Seven

Her heart thumped hard under her breast, a ragged tempo beating a tattoo into her ribcage. Finally, after reading about the ancient and wise Raptor colonies rising and becoming known when the Great War ended and the world referred to as Atmos began its life, studying and perfecting most of the traditional fighting styles of the once wondrous culture, and hearing about the present Raptor rogues and dwindling colonies, now she had her chance to…_to what?_ She thought for a moment before the Raptor looked at her in a funny way. She remembered what she was supposed to be doing and examined his (at least she thought it was a male) face and arms for cuts, bruises, and abrasions. She found a few shallow lacerations around the scales (scales!) of his cheekbones and a long, weeping gash along his broad jaw line. In the glow of her nervous system energy, she couldn't tell what color his scales were, but she could at least tell that his eyes were a pale yellow and his pupils were thin and vertical like very large black grains of rice. She also noted the longish spikes protruding from the top and center of his head, pointing straight up. They were almost long enough for gravity to pull them down; the one in the very front was dangling its tip, which wriggled around whenever he moved a fraction. And she saw that his nose was just a pair of small slits, like a snake.

She set her pack down on the ground in front of her and removed the small First Aid kit that Piper had so kindly thought of including in everyone's bags. After bringing out the bandages and antiseptic ointment with shaky hands, she cleaned the bigger wound first with some water from the canteen on her hip and then moving on to the smaller ones, making sure to not touch the clean skin with her dirty fingers.

"Okay," she warned her patient as she put a little ointment on her first two fingers. "This will sting a little, but it'll feel better once it sinks in." He hesitated before leaning in and allowing her to spread the ointment on gently. He hissed through his teeth and flinched hard when she started, but his eyes remained locked on her face as he relaxed and she moved on. When she paused to squeeze out a little more ointment from its tube, she saw that his nails were digging into the dirt, grasping lightly at pebbles like he was distracting himself from the pain. She straightened back up and lightly cupped his chin to get at a small scrape on his throat. As she rubbed it gently, she couldn't help watching the quick pulse underneath her fingertips and the steady rising and falling of his armored chest as he breathed. She felt an odd tingling in her stomach and realized with something akin to shame and excitement rolled together that she found this Raptor attractive. Shame because she felt an obligation to Junko for helping her, being so nice to her, complementing her, treating her like a girl instead of a prize to be won, protecting her; excitement because she didn't know that it was possible to find someone she had just met attractive. Butterflies of anticipation fluttered in her belly as she sat back and sighed softly; if she could get him to talk, then she might be able to learn something from him about his culture or race that she couldn't learn in a textbook.

She crossed her legs and rifled around in her pack again, this time for the food that she had packed early in the morning. Taking out a paper-wrapped package, she held it out to him. He stared at it without taking it. She looked up at him after putting another package on the ground next to her. "Take it." She wiggled it enticingly in his direction. He made no move to grab it. She smiled warmly and set it on his leg. "It's food. I know reptiles don't eat sweets, which would be better for the shock, but this is the closest thing to comfort food as far as your appetite may go." He gave her a slightly worried look. She giggled and unwrapped it in his lap. "It's just chicken, and it's not poisoned." She took a shred and popped it in her mouth. "Relax. My name's Ibis. What's yours?" She turned back to the package she'd set aside and began to unwrap it.

His voice was a little quiet. She noticed that he ignored her question. "Did my brotherth thend you?"

"Brothers?"

"I gueth not."

"Why? Have you been stuck here for long?" She bit into the roll of bread that she'd saved from last night's dinner and listened to him. She marveled at the accent he had; it was a bit rough and filled with hisses, like his own language would require much of the letter _s_. She figured it must have been hard for him to have a lisp as pronounced as his with a native dialect that relied heavily on that one letter.

"My brotherth and I were looking for a thertain crythtal down here, and we thplit up to really comb for it, but when I came here, I didn't thee the drop there and I barely caught mythelf; the dark wath very detheving. We didn't thtop to think that there might be dangerth like that, tho we didn't pack any thupplieth like you did." He picked at the pieces of chicken as he spoke, then ate a chunk. It was silent for a moment while he chewed and then put a larger piece in his mouth, chewing a little bit faster. "I thought one of my brotherth thent you to rethcue me. I didn't know how long I wath hanging there…" He trailed off then and glanced at her, giving her body a full sweep. She felt her skin heat up under his gaze, and as a result the pink glow from her implants surged a little. The Raptor blinked in surprise as it did. "Why do you glow?"

Ibis brushed the question away like he did to hers. "What's your name?" He eyed her warily. She sighed. "Fine. I glow because it's my weapon." He raised…well, he didn't have any eyebrows to speak of, but she now realized that he had thin scales where his eyebrows would be if he were human. He gave her a disbelieving look. She lifted her free hand and slowly allowed her talons to grow to their full length. She lowered her hand and shoved the points of her talons into the stone floor and dragged them through the rock as easily as a sharp knife through perfectly cooked roast beef. When he still didn't show any sign of changing his confused expression, she pointed to her mouth and made her dark pink fangs take place of her normal teeth. His eyes widened as she threw the roll into her mouth nearly whole and chomped on it, the light from her mouth disappearing and reappearing as she chewed exaggeratedly.

When she swallowed, she willed the fangs to retract. "It's a lengthy thing to explain in full, but the short and short of it is that I have this nerve implant weapon that was experimental and extremely dangerous. I lived through the operation and the tests, so it's mine now. It's noxious crystal energy alone, so there's no metal struts inside my body. It runs on my body's electrical impulses, so all I need is food and rest to recharge it. It's a part of my body as much as my stomach is. It glows, and when I fully activate it, it's bliss like no other." She smiled at him. Under the iridescent shine of the implants, she couldn't tell if he blushed (in fact, she questioned whether or not Raptors could blush at all), but he turned his head in a bashful way. "I'm sorry, though, that I wasn't hired by your brothers to get you out. But I can help you get out anyway." He nodded and the tip of his longest spike bounced cutely. She wondered if he ever noticed it. Now that his head was turned, he saw small webbing between each of the spikes on his skull. Not much, but just as much as the webbing between her thumb and index finger when she stretched her hand.

"My name ith—" A crackle on the radio on Ibis's pack broke him off. She put a finger to her lips for silence and then picked it up and held down the button on the side.

"Ibis here."

Aerrow's voice replied. "We've found the shade crystal. We're meeting up at the entrance. I'd be careful if I were you, though. Stork radioed in and told me that he spotted two strange Skimmers along the top of the cliff out there. He's trying to identify the vehicles. Be quick about coming back."

"Sure thing. Ibis out." She clipped the radio back onto the strap and packed everything quickly. "You can keep the chicken if you like. We've got plenty more back home." She threw the pack over one shoulder and held a hand out to the Raptor. "Come on."

He looked at her hand for such a long time then, like he didn't know what to do in the face of kindness, but he eventually took her hand and stood. As he did, Ibis shivered at the exotic feel of his scales against the sensitive skin on her hand and the strange tingle that originated from his touch. He must have felt it too because he gasped and looked her straight in the eye. Now she had the chance to see him a bit more clearly. He was about a head taller than her, almost as tall as Junko. But he was leaner than Junko, who was very stocky and muscled. His limbs were wiry and long, and natural armor plating grew down the middle of his throat and spread across his chest to his abdomen. He wore dark skins fashioned into a short sleeveless vest and knee-length pants. His metal armor was just shoulder plates, kneecaps, arm braces, and shin guards, but each piece was topped with long pointed bone spikes. His equally long tail swung at his ankles, the tip held off the ground and twitching slightly.

She cleared her throat and laughed nervously, having to tug gently to get her hand back. "Sorry. The texture of your scales is so foreign and interesting to me…" Her half-assed excuse petered out and she motioned for the mouth of their cave. He swallowed and gripped the package of chicken, now rewrapped, as he fell in step with her. He slouched a bit and loped easily along with his long legs. She had to keep her stride at a fair pace to keep up with him.

Once they came out of the tunnel and arrived at the first tangle of paths, Ibis wondered whether she remembered the way back or not. She guessed and walked down the chosen passage with the Raptor padding silently behind her, well within the range of her glowing circle. His audible breathing was calmer than before, but she could tell he was more than a little apprehensive about something by the way his shadow jerked against the walls. She felt his eyes on her figure, which was both confusing and flattering. She didn't have long to enjoy his attention, however, because she became increasingly worried about the intricate tunnels. At another junction, she paused too long and quietly cursed herself for not bothering to mark the pathways. The Raptor glanced around her and whispered, "You _do _remember how you got here, don't you?" She waved a hand at him absentmindedly, searching her foggy memory for something that could indicate the right way to go.

Suddenly, she smelled something. It was the scent of fresh air and sunshine. A breeze was flowing down into the cave from the world outside! It was faint, but it was enough to show her which way it was coming from. She took a deep breath of the sunshine-infused air and walked purposefully into the leftmost tunnel. The Raptor leaned forward as she continued following the scent and the feeling of the air pushing through the musty, humid cave atmosphere. "You can thmell that?" His low, raspy voice was coated with awe.

"Mmm, can't you?" She smiled and started jogging, the pink light from her skin shimmering brightly. The Raptor huffed along behind her, clearly not used to a slow, constant run like this. The smell of the breeze invigorated her, encouraged her.

Soon she came to the tunnel where she had stumbled and smashed her headlamp. She saw the glittering shards of glass and heaved a great sigh. "Okay, I know where we are n—"

"Ibis?" Junko's frantic voice echoed off the walls and it sounded close. He was probably in the open area where he'd kissed her. There was just a sharp turn between them now. She felt the Raptor stiffen at the sound of his voice. She turned and saw him backing away.

"What's wrong?" she whispered softly. She faced him and grabbed his hand to make him stop. His eyes were just as frantic as Junko's voice had been. He smelled like fear.

"I recognithe that voithe. I…I don't know where I know it from, but I think they shouldn't thee me." He looked into her eyes for a moment as his breathing rose to a panicky pant. "But I don't want to try to get out alone."

"Shh. Don't worry, I can still get you out of here. Stay in the shadows for a moment. I'll make him go ahead without me, okay?" Ibis squeezed his three-fingered hand gently and put a finger to her lips to indicate silence. She unclipped her broken headlamp and laid it on the floor. Then she walked calmly around the last corner and found Junko pacing. He looked up when she came closer and pulled her into a soft hug. She giggled and pushed him playfully off. When she saw his face, though, she frowned and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Aerrow called in and told me that the strange Skimmers outside were the Raptors' rides." Ibis felt her heart quicken again at that name and its implications. "I've been waiting here for you for so long, so I didn't know if you were okay or not." He paused and sighed with relief. "I'm glad you are, though." He smiled and then glanced at her head questioningly. "Where's your lamp?"

Prepared for this, she faked confusion and pretended to search for it. "Oh, jeez. I tripped and broke the light; it must have fallen off. You go ahead, I'll catch up. Stork would probably have my head if I didn't bring it back at least." She smiled reassuringly at him and turned to go but he wrapped his thick fingers around her upper arm.

"No, your safety is more important than a piece of equipment."

"Junko, I'll be safe enough. It's probably just hanging out in a shadow right around the corner a ways down. Go on. Aerrow said to be quick, and waiting around for me isn't going to do you any good. I'm fast and strong. If something tries to get me, I'll beat them off. You know that." He didn't seem convinced, so she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek softly. "Go; I'll catch up."

He perked up with the kiss and nodded, a smile forming on his face as he let go of her arm and raced down the tunnel that sloped upward and out. Ibis sighed and went back to the Raptor's hiding place to find him sitting with wide, light-deprived eyes on the floor, clutching the package of chicken she'd given him.

"I heard what he thaid. I haven't been down here that long after all. My brotherth are thtill here!" He stood and faltered. "But how do I get out? I don't have any light, and you have to go."

Ibis thought for a moment. "You follow behind me. When I get to the entrance to join my crew, you wait until…well, until you hear a scream." She laughed. "That will be me, since I don't like flying. It gives me the shivers. Flying will be the only way back from the cave mouth for us. You wait until you hear me scream, and then you can go to your brothers' Skimmers and wait there for them." She leaned down and retrieved her busted headlamp before walking back around the corner with the handsome Raptor in tow.

About twenty minutes later, she saw the light from the cave entrance before her. She motioned for the Raptor to come closer so she could whisper. "There's the beginning. I have to go. It was nice to meet you." She pulled the surprised lizard into a friendly hug, which he returned after a moment's confusion, and then turned to go as she heard Junko's voice outside. But she stopped herself and whipped back around to grab his hand again. "Wait. I never got your name."

He hesitated before he licked his lips with a long, thin, snaky tongue. "Thpitth." Then he leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before he whirled and disappeared into the shadows to wait. Ibis stood for a moment, stunned, before her face broke out in a grin and she went to join her friends out in the now-diminishing sunlight.

Later that night, as she lay in bed, she could still feel the roughness of his scaled lips on her left cheekbone. The memory of his kiss had remained even when Junko had walked her to her room and kissed her goodnight. Junko's kiss, though sweet and gentle, couldn't compare to the electrifying tingle that the Raptor's own kiss had left behind. Ibis sighed into the darkness and heard Xandra roll over in her sleep. Ibis gazed out of the porthole between their beds and wondered where he was now…where _Spitz _was now…


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Eight

Laying among the scratchy sheets of his bed in the dark, Spitz rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head. His eyes searched the shadowy ceiling as he breathed in the scent of the clean dawn air drifting beneath the door of his cramped living quarters. He shifted and sighed at the comforting smell of dew and fresh foliage. The cool breeze wafted over his bare chest and made him shiver deliciously. He hadn't been able to sleep at all last night; he had stayed awake wondering why that young female human had been so kind to him, why he hadn't done what his oldest brother, Repton, had instructed him to do if he spotted anybody other than him and his brothers in the cave, and most importantly why his heart had been pounding in his chest from the moment she found him to the moment he saw his brothers coming to their Skimmers from the edge of the cliff. Also, he couldn't stop himself from replaying every word she had said in his mind, closing his eyes and seeing her round, sweet eyes looking admiringly at him from behind her candy-pink bangs, her soft smile on her soft-looking lips, and her strangely alluring figure swaying in front of him.

Spitz was not as naïve as he had been a few years ago. In the recent past, he had been subjected to being exposed to females of his own kind to see if he would show any interest and take a lifemate. Unfortunately none of the females had any qualities that he desired. Repton hadn't been frustrated with him, which was surprising, but only because he and his other two brothers hadn't found lifemates either. On that particular day, Repton had acted very friendly and sentimental, throwing an arm around Spitz's shoulders and explaining to him that the gods would give them a sign when they revealed who their true lifemate would be. A lifemate was a very random thing; it happened when you least expected it. Oddly enough, Repton had chosen that moment to not push the issue. Apparently, he knew that there was no sense in trying to force something that wasn't likely to happen any time soon.

Spitz knew that that girl's attributes stirred his interest greatly, but, remembering the females of his kind, he wondered if Raptors and humans _could _mate. He hadn't been taught otherwise, so he assumed they could. _But whatth the point in thinking about that one girl? She and I will probably never meet again, right?_ He chewed his bottom lip with his sharp teeth, tasting the flesh there inquisitively. _But thothe voithes I heard…they were awfully familiar. Where have I heard them before? She thaid they were her friendth. What doeth that mean?_

A hand hammering on his rickety door snapped him out of his thoughts. Before he could say anything, it flew open and his older brother Hoerk stepped inside. Soft light shone into the room. "Time to get up. Repton's not in a very good mood." His thick, deep voice bubbled up from his throat, reminding Spitz of tar in the hot sun. Hoerk's eyes glared out at him in a hostile way, but Spitz knew that it was just his default expression, a result of the strain of simple thinking. Out of his siblings, it was well known that Hoerk had the smallest amount of brains.

"Why?" Spitz pushed himself up on his thin mattress, a very probable answer to his own question forming in his head.

"I don't know, but it's got something to do with that shadow crystal we went looking for." Immediately, Spitz felt a little guilty for being stuck in the cave. If he'd been more careful, he wouldn't have made trouble for his brothers.

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute." Hoerk left and closed the door behind him, cloaking Spitz in darkness again. Stretching and rolling his shoulders, Spitz yawned and let his long tongue loll out of his mouth. Then he reached down off the edge of his bed and pawed around for his bulky armor and thin jacket, which had been lazily shed last night in the hurry to get comfortable. Once he dressed himself in the dark, he sat on his bed for a few moments, letting his heart become accustomed to waking up. Usually, his heartbeat was slow and measured, pumping the cool blood in his veins at a leisurely pace. _But when I met Ibith…_His heart sped up a fraction as the memory of her foreign, scale-less skin brushed against his fingers. Then a spark erupted in his veins and his blood warmed a bit, which was a surprising sensation. _I only get that feeling when I'm in the thun. _Suddenly, he heard shouting coming from the hallway outside his room and he decided to put his thoughts aside for the moment as he stood and pulled the door open wide.

He joined his two brothers Hoerk and Leugey in front of Repton's throne, awaiting the worst, as Repton looked furious. Repton, large and muscular, was pacing and his long, spiked tail was lashing back and forth behind him. A low snarling rumbled out of his throat and his eyes were narrowed menacingly. He rounded on his younger kin and the snarling increased in volume and pitch as his eyes snapped to each brother. "I'm embarrassed to come from the same brood as you lowlifes!" His voice shifted from high and slippery to low and growling. Spitz, Leugey, and Hoerk reflexively flinched away from their eldest brother's rage. "We were assigned that retrieval mission by Master Cyclonis because we are supposed to earn her respect! And now we've disappointed her by returning to her with empty hands. We were supposed to find that shadow crystal before anyone else did. If we hadn't been so slow, we wouldn't have lost it to those reeking Storm Hawks!" Spitz paused in his shameful cowering at the name. Now he recalled the voice from Ibis's radio the night before…

"You slimy creeps remember what she threatened us with before; she'll destroy Bogaton if we don't do as she says. And you know what that means," he continued in a soft voice, "That means that we would have to return to our old home if she did indeed carry out her threats…" He turned away from them and rubbed his eyes with two fingers. "But we can't do that…" Repton growled in his throat at the hardly forgotten memory of their home Terra. He was silent for a moment, which allowed his brothers to remember the night that they—

"So what do you propose we do, hm?" Repton swiveled around and searched his siblings' eyes for an answer, his actions not without a threatening air. He clearly implied that he thought it to be their fault that they failed.

Spitz felt the lizards beside him hang their heads in remorse, their long cranial spikes drooping sadly. But Spitz held his head high, an idea unbidden by his own consciousness forming into words on his tongue.

"Find the Thtorm Hawkth and take the crythtal from them."

Ibis methodically dried the dish she was holding with a soft rag, her mind elsewhere. It was strange how she could put herself on autopilot as easily as Stork could put the Condor on it. She often did it to escape the world around her when it became to under-stimulating for her to focus all her attention on it. Today had been pretty boring already, and she was sure that only half the ship was awake now. But there was one thing that she found unusual about her morning. She had woken up early despite falling asleep so late and had toured the great metal behemoth by herself. She just wandered, her thoughts not really concentrated on any particular thing. It was as if she was in a trance…so when she had "come to", she was standing in the hanger bay, the hatch closed and the Skimmers locked into place as if they were prisoners. She felt pity for them, even if being on one scared her to no end; they were made to fly free in the skies, not to be chained up. Without thinking, she had placed a hand on the nearest one, perceiving the dry, rough metal under her fingertips. She slid onto its cracked leather seat, feeling at once like she was too small to be sitting there. The craft moved slightly at the sudden new weight, but its kickstand held. When she ran her fingers over the small dashboard, she felt a tingle and breathed in the scent of crystal energy, as familiar as the eyes she looked at in the mirror every day. Then she felt the impulsive urge to turn on the airbike and rip out of the hanger into the predawn sky, to search for the young Raptor that she had met not twenty-four hours ago. Her heart had thundered at the thought of him…

She was still puzzling over that spontaneous desire when Xandra and Piper walked into the galley, arguing. Xandra looked like she was winning this particular fight, as she was grinning and laughing. Piper looked furious, blushing deeply and moving as far from Xandra as she could while she fixed her breakfast. Ibis raised a quizzical eyebrow at Xandra, who giggled back at her. "What's going on?"

Xandra sneaked a glance at Piper. "Oh, nothing. I just couldn't help noticing how…_hot_…Piper was today." Ibis watched for a few more seconds as Piper's back stiffened and she turned a deeper shade of red. Xandra licked her lips and swept Piper's frame with her eyes. She made a contented noise in her throat, causing the older girl to turn with curiosity at the sound. Piper, though seemingly repulsed by the suggestiveness of Xandra's provocative body language, could not move her eyes away. Then she shuddered and twisted back around, finally having enough of it. Xandra stopped her intimidation and chuckled.

Ibis rolled her eyes. "I thought I told you to watch that kind of behavior." She smiled as she said it; actually, Ibis liked having a friend who was bisexual. It was refreshing, to say the least, and it was certainly entertaining now when Piper was so uncomfortable with it. She probably never grew up with anybody like Xandra. Ibis counted herself lucky that she had Xandra. "Aerrow won't like you stirring people up with your 'freakish' habits." She said the last part sarcastically, throwing her friend a mock glare with a smile on her face that Piper couldn't see. Xandra noted her facial cues and nodded.

She walked up behind Piper silently and whispered in her ear seductively, "Oh, I can be really freaky when I want to be. Wanna figure out just _how _freaky I can get?" Piper shrieked in surprise and shrank against the counter away from Xandra. Xandra and Ibis both began cackling with mirth at her reaction and had to hold each other up after a few minutes of continuous laughter. Finn walked into the galley with Junko and stopped immediately at the strange picture of the two of them bent in half laughing.

"What's goin' on?" He gave the friends a sidelong look as he asked Piper.

Piper shuddered before she answered, "Xandra's a lesbian." That statement made Ibis and Xandra pause in their merriment before they cracked up anew at both the fact that she was only half right and the stricken look on Finn's face.

"Wha…is…is that really true, babe?" Finn moved forward and pleaded with Xandra. From what Xandra had told Ibis, the two of them had gotten as far as making out and maybe a little feeling around, which would explain the fact that sometimes Xandra wouldn't come back to their room until Ibis was asleep. But, she reminded herself, that probably meant that she was extremely into Finn. She usually wasn't like this with other boyfriends.

Xandra wiped an eye and her giggles petered out as she laid a hand on Finn's chest and caught her breath. "A little bit." His jaw dropped. She smiled and added quickly, "But I love guys just as much as girls. I'm a jack-of-all-trades." She batted her lashes at him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Meanwhile, Junko had moved to Ibis's side. He leaned down and whispered to her.

"Are you like that too?" She pondered that question for a moment.

"What if I am?" she whispered back without looking at him.

"That's fine with me. That's actually pretty hot." She stared at him from the corner of her eye for a long moment.

"Well, I'm not. I like boys, and even then I draw the line somewhere." She smiled and winked at him. He returned her grin and, while her eyes weren't on him and he presumed that she wasn't paying attention, he slipped his hand over the small of her back. It was a simple, gentle gesture, but it made her flush with shame and apprehension. She had noticed that her feelings for Junko were diminishing to a brotherly level. It wasn't fair to him that she should feel this way; he'd done nothing but be kind and supportive and sweet to her. She felt that, after that, she had to repay him somehow, but it was easier said than done. She couldn't help feeling that the darkness of the cave had changed her…or, more accurately, the discovery she made in the darkness. Just what had made her change her mind? Usually she wasn't this impulsive.

Deciding not to lead him on and make him think that it was okay to put his hands on her, she twisted out of his reach and busied herself with putting the dry and clean dishes back into the cupboards. She kept her mind, hands, and eyes on the task at hand, if only to block out the slight disappointment radiating off Junko's person.

Over the next week or so, Ibis kept herself occupied, making it seem like she was extremely busy so she didn't have the energy or time to insinuate herself deeper into what Junko perceived as a possible relationship. She was friendly but casual. She still felt very guilty most of the time, her thoughts wandering between whether she should follow her manners and the logical part of her brain and stick with Junko even when she was smitten with someone she would probably never meet again, or follow her instincts and her heart and try to find that Raptor again. She also tried to tell herself that she didn't really have feelings for Spitz; it was just that he awoke some deep-seated curiosity in her that wouldn't leave her alone. But she couldn't explain why, when Junko managed to sneak in a goodnight kiss every night, her mind flew back in time to that cave, the daylight streaming through the entrance into the shadows, the soft pink glow of her cybernetics highlighting Spitz's features, and the gentle press of his scaled lips on her cheekbone.

What bugged her more than anything else, though, was the fact that she could feel Stork's yellow eyes on her, following her every move. Even though he was also engaged in something that needed his personal attention, she knew it was him, and it freaked her out. When she confronted him with it, he would turn back to his work or walk away, but as soon as she returned to what she was doing his eyes went back to burning holes in her head.

One evening as Stork was preparing to land the Condor, Ibis finished cleaning the bridge and walked to the very front to stand next to him and stare out the windshield at the wispy clouds fluttering past. She felt him tense up, as if he had been startled by her unannounced arrival, but she noticed that he didn't relax once he confirmed who it was. With all the mental stress she had been under, she had become a little snippy with everyone, carrying out her duties with mechanical ease, one after the other. Xandra had tried to figure out what was bothering her, but Ibis remembered with more guilt that she had been silenced by a smoldering, blue-eyed glare from her roommate. She assumed Xandra had brushed it off as PMS, and it most likely was. Now, standing next to the nervous pilot, Ibis didn't let go of her frustration with him. She opened her mouth and asked, "Why have you been watching me?" But the words barely left her mouth before a thundering blow rocked the Condor from side to side. Every crewmember lurched with the ship, but Xandra and Ibis remained unfazed, their Ex-Mag boots automatically magnetizing to the metal floor.

Stork forgot his fear for the moment as he reached up and grasped the periscope, pulling it down and gazing through. He swiveled it around for a few seconds before he yelped and pushed the periscope back up. He about-faced and gripped the steering controls of the ship for stability for himself and for the Condor, which continued to pitch around. Ibis kept her eyes on the world outside, feeling it was her duty now to make sure the great pontoon-like vessel stayed on course while its driver was distressed. She saw a dark green shape zoom across her vision but her brain couldn't process what it was yet. Stork took a shuddering breath and answered the question that was on everyone's mind just as a spark of recognition flared in Ibis's memory.

"Raptors!"


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Nine

Like sunlight cutting through shadows, the dark, moody haze in Ibis's mind cleared with the rush of adrenaline that spiked coldly through her heart. The throbbing blows of the Raptors outside the Condor kept constant, every now and then a harder, more insistent shock whipped the surface of the ship as if their attackers were impatient to have them come out and face them. A rolling feeling of awareness swept over her and in turn made her senses sweep across the bridge even though she herself was still unmoving and staring out the windshield. After Stork's announcement, the crew was in a kind of quiet turmoil. Behind her, she could feel their nerves tensing up and twanging at every hit. It was silent for a few moments…then she felt Aerrow draw up his courage and take a breath.

"Okay, you guys know the drill. Xandra, Ibis, what happens when the Raptors attack is this: they only have Skimmers, so we can only really attack them effectively on our own Skimmers. Can you two handle that?" He paused for affirmation. "Ibis?"

Ibis remained staring out the window, watching the Raptors' airbikes beetle around in the sky outside. She gave a low growl in her throat as she felt the Beast "wake up" in response to the adrenaline and the hand that held her mop tightened audibly, the sound of skin rubbing hard on smooth metal. She felt Xandra's eyes on her, and then heard her say to Aerrow, "We're good."

"I just wonder what they're here for…" Aerrow thought aloud.

"Isn't it obvious?" Stork whispered. In a louder voice he said, "They're here for the shadow crystal! It was their Skimmers outside the cave; do you remember that? Why else would they be skulking around in a pitch black underground cave if the only thing of interest was that rotten crystal?" Another strike to the hull of the Condor made him flinch and whimper.

Aerrow sighed in a resigned way and clapped his hands. "Okay, make sure your parawings are secure, people! We're going out." His footsteps receded a little, but then Piper spoke up.

"But what about the crystal? We can't just leave it here—" The sound of crystal-powered metal scraped against the ship's roof, making a shrieking noise that set Ibis's teeth on edge.

"Give it to Ibis," Xandra said quickly. Ibis paid close attention to this, not doubting her friend already had a plan plainly because she hadn't been one of the top students in the Academy for nothing.

"What?" Aerrow sounded a little thrown off.

"Give it to Ibis," she repeated. "They won't think that she'll have it; since she's a new face to them, they'll probably think that she won't be trusted with something so valuable and sought after."

"Why not give it to you?"

"Because I work with a long-range weapon. They'll go for me, thinking I'll have it because I'll need to keep them at bay and away from the crystal. I'll automatically look like I have something to protect. Besides, Ibis is a close-range attacker. They won't assume that she'll have something that precious on her if she's getting really close to them. It would be like leaving herself open for them to snatch the crystal."

"…Whoa." Finn's voice was full of admiration and awe. "What?"

"Reverse psychology." Ibis startled everyone, especially Stork, by speaking unexpectedly. "It's such a dangerously stupid tactic that anybody could realize it and would assume that their opponent wouldn't do it out of self-preservation. Just like close-range attack." She finally turned and set the mop against the windshield gently, then folded her arms around her stomach out of comfort.

Aerrow pondered for a moment while the Raptors continued lashing the Condor mercilessly. Stork whimpered at every blow until it became too much for him. "Just give her the crystal already! Go out there and make them stop!" His last words were pleading.

Aerrow nodded, untied a little leather pouch from around his neck, and threw it to Ibis, who caught it under hand without bending her spine to get it. "Okay, everyone to the hanger," he concluded. "Ibis, keep that in a safe place where they won't see it or get to it easily." Ibis nodded, then, to the shock of everybody else, she unlaced the first few strings on her bodysuit and tied the strings of the leather pouch to her bra strap, making the pouch hang between her breasts and tucking the visible parts of the cinching threads into the cup of her bra. Retying her suit laces as she walked briskly to the door of the bridge, she caught Aerrow's eye. He looked very stunned that she would openly do something that revealing in front of everyone.

"What're you goggling at?" she asked.

_The Beast wants out_, Ibis thought. She flexed her talons in and out in an attempt to ease the itching feeling that came from keeping the cybernetics under her skin for too long after activation. Standing on the back of Junko's Skimmer with her Ex-Mags clinging securely to the metal, she could feel Junko's immediate unease with being so close to a loose cannon like Ibis was right now. Brushing away his emotions as the roar of the Skimmers starting up in the cavernous hanger echoed off her eardrums, she began to rile herself up, hoping to get drunk enough on the adrenaline to ignore the weightless sensation of flying. The airbike rolled forward after the last of the other Storm Hawks exited, and as they fell from the lip of the hanger, Ibis felt no anxiety. They leveled off, and once Ibis saw Aerrow's signal to her, she welcomed Junko's thick scent of fear and breathed in deeply through her nose before unleashing the Beast with an earth-shattering scream.

Spitz's skin crawled at the sound of a screech brimming with malice and savagery. He nearly fell off his Skimmer, which wouldn't have been that bad because at that moment his instincts told him that the smart thing would be to commit suicide rather than face whatever had let that howl loose. But he kept his hands on the handles of the bike, curious as to what sort of terrifying creature that had been. He brought his vehicle around and zoomed over the top of the Storm Hawks' ship, peering over the edge at the Skimmers flying out of it and into formation. Which one were they keeping the monstrosity on? And where was Ibis? He felt a spark of panic at the thought that that sweet girl could be in danger, then immediately felt guilty because thinking like that could jeopardize his loyalty to his brothers. And it wasn't healthy to have divided loyalties.

Turning the bike gently and angling up to observe the ensuing battle, he reached behind himself and groped around in the bag tied to the side of his ride for his sword, which was pretty much a short staff with two saw-toothed, double-edged blades on the ends.

As he brought the sword out and was looking for the animal that made that eerie noise, a silver line of energy zapped through one of the wings on his Skimmer, the impact making his bike spin out of control. Thinking fast, he used the momentum to turn the Skimmer into a roughly done barrel roll. Speeding up to avoid being hit again, he drifted around in a wide circle near top speed and examined the damage. A hole no bigger than a coin was softly smoking on his right top wing, and a hole slightly bigger than the first was on the lower right wing right below it. He cursed and wondered what could possibly have hit and left such a mark. What's more, he'd been spotted. And if that powerful source found him again, it was likely that they wouldn't miss a second time if they were aiming for something more serious, like the rider. Assuming that the one who had attacked his bike was the creature that had let rip that blood-curdling roar, he scanned the expanse of Skimmer-filled open air before him. Then he felt eyes on him.

He jerked his head around and gulped inwardly at the sight of a set of glowing, silver irises locked with his own. It was a girl who looked to be roughly the same age as Ibis, and a fierce-looking one at that. Could she really be the one that had screamed? She didn't look the part at all. Her blonde and black hair whipped around her pale, pointed face as the bike she was…she was _standing _on a speeding Skimmer? The pilot of the bike that she was perched on seemed to drive the vehicle without worry of throwing her off, and it was also apparent that her feet didn't move from their spot even as the craft executed a barrel role similar to Spitz's own and turned her upside down. She maintained eye contact with him, then glared and sent a beam of energy at him. Spitz yanked the steering console up and avoided the projectile with ease, wondering why she made that so easy. But he didn't wonder for long; he immediately learned that it was a plain distraction. The girl tapped on the pilot's shoulder, pointed at Spitz, and spoke to her companion quickly. Spitz remembered that spiky-headed young man she was talking to; his name wasn't the most important thing for Spitz to think about though, as both the airbike and the girl motored toward him. He prepared himself for confrontation.

The rush of excitement propelled Ibis after the biggest, meanest, scaliest Raptor, an animal instinct forcing her to challenge the leader. Her thoughts again became singular, then drifted off into nothing as she concentrated on movements. She had bravely jumped from Junko's Skimmer to the back of the Alpha Raptor's vehicle and had attracted his attention by sinking a poisonous talon into his meaty upper arm with a humorous grin stretching her lips wide. The great brute snarled and twisted around, swinging a boomerang-like weapon at her, but Ibis ducked out of the way and clawed a swatch of leather padding off his back, cutting some of the spikes along his spine. He growled abrasively and yanked the bike's steering apparatus so that they were flying upside down. He looked back to see if his attacker had fallen off, and sure enough there was no creepy girl behind him. He flipped back over and turned to face forward, but jerked back in surprise and slight fear when Ibis's face loomed inches from his with yet another sickeningly gleeful sneer below wide, unblinking, bloodshot eyes.

The Raptor shouted in frustration, "What _are _you?" Ibis merely contented herself with giggling fiercely and snapping her bared fangs near his nose. He growled again and swung an arm at her, too unexpected for the Beast, and hit her on the side of the face, making her slide to the right of him and grip the airbike's front hull with her claws. A hollow shriek from the talons scraping the metal shot through the air and probably sent shivers up the Raptor's spine, giving Ibis just enough time to grab the arm that smacked her and hoist herself up closer to him. The Beast wasn't being playful with its prey anymore; this was purely business now. She glared and let out a sharp cry right in her attacker's face. She smelled the slight tang of fear on him for a moment and then he slammed his fist on a button on his ride and released the controls to attempt to fight her off with both hands.

After several minutes of concentrated scratching, biting, and pounding, Ibis pulled back and hissed at the lizard, feeling her skin bruising up and her strength waning, and the sun was setting fast. The Beast wasn't happy at all that its prey was besting it; that wasn't the way of nature for the Beast! Ibis shaped her fingers together so her hand was like a giant spike and stabbed brutally at the Raptor, relishing in the sensation of fresh blood sprinkling over her hand as she pierced the hard armor over his chest. He roared with pain and tried to swat her away, but she dodged and reached out with her other clawed hand and cut over his eyes, drawing more blood. The blood flowed freely and blinded the Raptor. He screamed in fright and threw all of his remaining strength into one last hit, knocking Ibis over the edge of the motorbike and into its shadow. Her claws were pulled out of his chest with her falling momentum, and, with one last attempt to save herself, she grasped the Raptor's leg and dug her talons in.

While her prey thrashed around above wiping the blood from his eyes, she felt a strange stamina pour into her body, filling her with a seemingly endless supply of energy. The sun finally slipped below the horizon and the last of the day's light dribbled away. Ibis dragged her body up and raised her claws one last time, determined to deliver the deciding blow. Her nails glowed a terrible dark purple, almost black, as she slashed at the Raptor, who had hesitated too long to defend himself.

Suddenly Ibis was struck in the back by a passing ally of the Raptor, square across the spine, stunning her for a fraction of a second too long, buying the Raptor leader time to scrub the remaining blood from his eyes and push her bodily from the craft. Out into the open sky. The abrupt descending feeling shook her human mind back to consciousness and the nerve systems halted, the energy whooshing back into its reserves and leaving her to fend for herself. The Raptor cackled darkly and removed the autopilot from his controls, speeding up and hurling himself into the fight.

Her first thought was that she was falling; her second was to pull the cord for the parawings. But as she yanked hard, as Aerrow had instructed her to do, the cord jammed and the wings failed to pop out. In the increasing darkness, Ibis frantically pulled harder and quicker at the cord. Nothing happened, and the ground was looming ever closer below her back. The little pouch that she had painstakingly hidden now slipped free of her bra and danced freely before her eyes in the updraft. Panic welled in her chest, and she made the mistake of turning and looking down. Her heart jolted and her blood turned to ice. Black dots crowded at the edges of her vision, and as she let out a faint wail that, she was sure, was swallowed by the wind, she passed out as she plummeted down to the Wastelands.

Spitz finally broke free of the terrifyingly tough girl and that nasty, arrogant blonde marksman. He circled around the battle, keeping well away from his last attackers as he aired his stinging electrical burns. From the looks of it, the battle was ending and it didn't look as if the Raptors were winning, but they were still valiantly fighting, probably trying to weed out the Storm Hawk who held the crystal. He knew that one of the grunts had gotten on board and had searched where he could, but in the middle of fighting the whip girl, Spitz had heard a hoarse yell, and he saw the grunt being expelled from the top of the Condor via a spring-loaded floor platform. Spitz knew the nightmares the pilot of the Condor had in store for any intruders; he'd once been catapulted out of the Condor on that platform.

Just then, he heard a pleading noise, like someone was beseeching another to spare them. It was just a soft cry, probably nothing to worry about, but Spitz's heart raced as he searched for the source. His eyes settled on a falling object nearby. His eyes were suited to see in the diminished light, but even then it was difficult to make it out…a flickering of pink light flashed at him from the person and with a horrorstruck alarm clanging in his mind he realized that it was Ibis! Forgetting completely his loyalties to his brothers and his race, he twisted the throttle on his bike handles and angled for her seemingly lifeless form. The details of her features became closer and more refined as he pushed the Skimmer to its limits and shot to the point under her where he would be able to catch her. Her candy-colored hair fluttered in the wind about her pale, blood flecked face, her eyes were closed as if she was sleeping, and she made no move at all. Hoping for a miracle, Spitz pulled around and held out a single arm for her.

She fell roughly into his outstretched arm, and the Skimmer wobbled with the sudden new weight, but Spitz held both the steering and Ibis tightly. His arm curled around her waist, locking her into position in his lap. Flying low, he put the autopilot on and adjusted Ibis's prone body in a more comfortable manner, seating her sidesaddle with her bottom in between his legs and laying her head close to his neck away from the sharp spikes on his shoulder armor. He held his breath and prayed to the gods that she was still alive and then placed a single finger under her nose. As expected a hot but faint blast of air told of her condition a few seconds later. He breathed a sigh of relief just as he spotted a tiny leather pouch dangling around her neck. Curious, he eyed her as if she would wake up and smack him for prying, then opened the pouch and peered in. A dark crystal was nestled in there. Spitz's spirits soared; he'd found the crystal!

"Retreat!" Repton's enraged yowl sounded from above, and Spitz readjusted the pouch and Ibis while he simultaneously hit the autopilot button and made the climb back up to the withdrawing Raptors.

"Both! I've got the crythtal!" Spitz alerted Repton as soon as they were out of hearing range of the remaining Storm Hawks. He plucked the little pouch up between two fingers and waggled it at Repton's disbelieving eyes. Repton's defeated, seething expression disappeared as evil satisfaction took its place.

"Very good, Spitz! And what do we have here?" Repton coasted closer to Spitz's vehicle, staring at Ibis's still limbs and emotionless, sleeping face. His snaky grin grew wider as he searched her uniform. Finally spotting a blue Storm Hawks symbol above her left breast on a hastily attached patch, he laughed heartily and reached over to thump his younger brother on the back. "Excellent! Lets see how those pigeons feel once they figure out that we've got a hostage." He thought for a moment, gazing at Ibis's face, then added, "And a damn pretty one at that." He chuckled softly and whacked Spitz on the back one last time before he roared the bike forward and set a course for Terra Bogaton. Spitz felt a ripple of a black emotion at his brother, for what he didn't know, but, unable to supply a word to label it with, he instead pulled Ibis closer and rode away from the Condor after his brothers.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Ten

The first things that Ibis was aware of were her sore limbs, throbbing head, and dry mouth. Whatever she was laying on, she also noticed, was hard and flat and very uncomfortable. Then her other senses began to function. Her nose alerted her to a dry, dark, basement-y smell, like moldy cobwebs and rust; her ears picked up the faint sounds of tropical birds as if she were listening to them from inside a building. More curious than panicked, she summoned the last of what appeared to be the energy she'd come across near the end of her scuffle with the leading Raptor. It wasn't much, she came to realize, as her arms began to quake violently beneath her weight. She felt like she weighted a thousand pounds. Without opening her tired eyes, she let herself drop heavily to the floor again, whacking her chin and curling up into a decent sleeping position. She slept without dreams.

When she awoke next, she was rejuvenated enough to open her eyes. It was near pitch black in whatever room she was in, and her old childhood fears of the dark rushed back at a breakneck pace, making her insides writhe with terror and her spine prickle coldly. The air around her was very chilly, a sure sign that wherever she was, it was a summer-like climate, probably southern, and it was definitely nighttime. Although it was mild, most likely due to the fact that it was spring, but just barely. She shivered, trying to inspire some warmth in her frozen body parts. Once she became brave enough to lever herself up again, she made sure that she made very little noise, just in case there was an enemy or hostile creature nearby. Moonlight shone through a thin, grimy window some feet above her head. The resulting square of light that hit the floor illuminated the nasty, dirty floor. Ibis rubbed a finger along the surface beneath her and confirmed that she wasn't laying on dusty cement but a thin wooden board that rattled against something below it. Silently hoping that there was nothing around to attack her, she let her nervous system glow take over and shine on her surroundings.

She was sitting in the middle of a large metal cage with the wooden board spreading from corner to corner, providing a slight relief from the even more uncomfortable bars below. She moved her hand in front of her and saw nothing but unadorned cement walls. She looked to her left and spotted something lying in a nearby corner that looked like bones. Yes, she realized, they _were_ bones, but they were too small to be human bones, and they were just as clean as the rest of the basement. She waved her hand to the right and saw that the room stretched farther than she expected. There were cages similar to her own, thankfully but sadly empty. Then, swallowing reflexively, she turned to see what lay behind her. She let out a high yelp as she saw a pair of yellow-with-black-pupils eyes watching her intensely. She scrambled back and whimpered.

Her own eyes took in more details as the person watching her made no move except to glance at the only door at the far end of the basement with what looked like severe apprehension. She breathed a slight sigh of relief then as she recognized the lithe, wiry limbs, the flat, broad face, and the bouncy cranial spine that she had noticed nearly a month ago in the dark of the caves.

"S-Spitz?" she whispered softly. He glanced at her and held a finger to his lips, still keeping a close eye on the door. She silenced herself at his command and listened. It was completely quiet save for the raucous cawing and twittering of the nocturnal birds outside. Apparently satisfied with the fact that no one was going to come rushing in at the sound of Ibis's loud shriek, he lowered his finger and looked her in the eye again, nodding with something like regret. "Where am I?" she asked.

Spitz averted his eyes and stared at the floor shamefully. "You're…. you're in the dungeonth of Terr—" He stopped himself, probably on the orders that he wasn't to reveal anything significant to her. "You're being held prithoner."

"By who?" Ibis gazed up at the ceiling, which was coated with filth and even more cobwebs.

"Repton."

"Repton…" she repeated. It sounded feral.

"Lithen, I only have tho much time before thomeone cometh to take my shift. I only jutht managed to get in a few hourth to guard you."

"How long have I been here?" She began to feel a bit more relaxed every moment she spent talking to someone she felt she could trust.

"Thith ith the thecond night you've been here. You've been out cold every time thomeone's come to guard you." He paused thoughtfully. "Are you hungry?" He gestured at a bowl that sat next to him on the floor. It looked like it was filled with some sort of stew. At the sight of the food, Ibis's stomach answered the question for her by growling loudly. She smiled sheepishly at Spitz, who returned her smile with a short laugh, like he wasn't really in the mood to do so. He carefully stood and brought the bowl to her cage. "I'm thorry that the barth are tho clothe together. If they weren't, I'd be able to give you thith to hold."

"It's okay. I don't mind," Ibis replied, trying to think of how she would be able to get the stew if he set the bowl right next to the bars. Instead, he produced a spoon from inside his short leather vest and dipped it in before he held it between the bars at her. She stared at it stupidly as if she didn't know what it was. "Oh. I…you're going to feed it to me?"

"It'th the only way if you want any food; I thnuck it from the kitchenth just an hour or two ago. Repton doethn't want you to be fed at all, tho come here and hurry." He dipped the spoon in the bowl again and refreshed its contents.

"Here. You don't need to feed me yourself; you can just hold the bowl." Ibis took the spoon from him and hungrily devoured every bit of the cold, meaty stew. She knew she would've felt guilty if she had allowed him to feed her when she could've done it just fine herself. When she quietly set the spoon in the empty bowl, Spitz lowered both utensils onto the floor next to him and looked back at Ibis, then rapidly dropped his eyes back down and shuffled his feet like he didn't know what to do or say next.

"You, um…. you were falling, tho I…. I caught you." His voice became hushed like he was telling a forbidden secret. Perhaps he was, Ibis thought. "Look, jutht don't tell anyone that, okay? Repton would kill me if he knew that I did that on purpothe."

Ibis eyed him with more than a hint of curiosity. Why would he save her? "Is it because I saved you in the caves?" Spitz looked almost startled, as if he didn't expect her to guess why. He examined the floor again with interest.

"N-…yeah." Ibis pretended she hadn't heard him change his answer. Was there something more that he wasn't telling her? Just then, a clanking came from the door at the far end of the room. Spitz immediately grabbed the bowl and spoon and hid them behind the bones Ibis had seen earlier. "I'll be back, Ibith. Jutht hold on until then, and if anyone bethideth me giveth you food, don't eat it; it could be poithoned. Don't thay anything about thith." He grasped one of her hands lightly through the bars, then turned and sat down in the place that he'd occupied before. Ibis willed the cybernetics to darken and disappear into her body just as the door opened, and three Raptors strode in carrying lamps, the one at the front familiar to her. Ibis assumed that he was the leader and also the one that she'd ended up attacking a few days ago. He walked with a quick, impatient stride to her cage, and, as he neared, Spitz stood and saluted him. The leader ignored him and shot angry daggers at Ibis with his eyes. He was a massive, tall creature with mud-brown scales and long whip-like cranial spines that curved up behind his skull. His face was sharply angled; clearly he was older than any of the others present. His upper body was very thick and hard looking, much like Junko's, but his legs were just as wiry as Spitz's were, if a little beefed up. His tail was also reminiscent of a whip, but even more so than his spines were because it lashed back and forth like it was itching to slice across something. His lips were curled in preparation for a snarl, and he did so as he came right up to the bars and grasped them with his large, spatula-like hands then shook the entire cage as he screamed.

"You BITCH! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!" More surprised that he spoke without a lisp like Spitz than the jarring motions of the cage and the yelling, Ibis merely gave him a faintly withering look and crossed her arms over her chest as he grabbed a gas lamp and held it close to his body. Ibis just raised her eyebrows, knowing full well what she'd done to him. A shallow, black, claw shaped hole was positioned close to his heart, directly left to his sternum, and weeping a purple pus that dripped down his chiseled abdomen. The lantern light washed over his arms and face, illuminating every black wound that she had dealt him, each one oozing varying amounts of violet mucus and looking very swollen and irritated. As she sat admiring her own handiwork, Ibis smiled coyly and winked at him when he caught her eye next. Incensed, he threw the lamp down to the ground, shattering it, and returned to rocking the cage. "What have you DONE? FIX ME!"

"Not until you give me a proper place to rest and treat me with a measure of respect, lizard lips."

The leader growled and made the bars shudder even harder than before. "You are in NO position to be making demands, you little whore. Do as I say."

"Or what? You'll shake the cage again? I'm terrified." Ibis sat back leisurely and grinned. Behind everyone, she spotted Spitz making frantic but silent motions at her to make her stop goading the leader.

"Oh, you have no idea what I'm capable of."

"Neither do you me." Ibis faked a bored yawn and looked at the window; the sky was beginning to brighten. Dawn was coming.

"Do you even know who I am?" he asked in a soft, threatening voice.

"I suppose not. Do _you_ know who _I _am?" The leader tossed his head back in frustration.

"Cease these childish games! I want an antidote!" Feeling bold, Ibis glanced at Spitz and giggled.

"And I want a decent guy to do me right, but we can't always get what we want, scaly butt." She ran a hand through her hair and discovered with mild disgust that she was very greasy after two days without a bath.

"Come here, girl." The large lizard crooked a thick finger at her beckoningly. Ibis rolled her eyes at him.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid? I'm staying right here." She patted the board below her. "Unless you'd like to let me out so I can talk with you as an equal. I don't hand out antidotes to just anyone. You have to earn it." She calmly looked him in the eye as she said this, attempting to convince him that force wasn't going to get him anywhere.

The leader screwed up his face and turned away, rubbing his eyes in frustration. He made a straining noise like he was having a hard time suppressing the urge to reach through the bars and choke the life out of his captive. Finally he grumbled something to the second tallest Raptor, whose heavy-set body had scales the color of a swamp plant, and the leader was handed a ring of keys. He turned back to Ibis and inserted a rusty key into the padlock on the cage. He didn't turn it but instead stared Ibis down. "If I let you out…" he paused here to tamp down a low growl, "If I let you out, you'll give me the antidote?"

"Only if you give me a real bed to sleep in and an edible meal if you plan to keep me around." She glared back at him, making it clear that she wasn't kidding. After a moment of thought, the leader turned the key, swung the front of the cage open, and stepped aside to let Ibis crawl over and out.

As she stood and stretched thankfully, the leader lazily closed the cage door and came up close behind her so that she could feel his breath on her hair. She hadn't been able to gauge how tall all of the lizards actually were until she was within a comparable situation. The leader was _very _tall, at least a head taller than Spitz, who was about five inches taller than Ibis. The other two were just as tall as Spitz.

"Give me the antidote." She felt a slight vibration in her chest from the low, husky timbre of the voice that came from the wall of reptile behind her. Turning and facing him, she examined the largest, most puffy wound, which was the one on his own chest, then held out a hand to the two Raptors at her right.

"Do either of you two have a knife?" They hesitated before she explained that it was her blood that she needed. The closest one, the key holder, brought out a hunting knife and slashed the palm of her hand brutally. She groaned and hissed a breath through her teeth. "Okay, that's not what I was going for, but it'll do. She waited for the blood to well up a little, raised it and then halted, looking up at the leader's expectant face. "Ah, you might want to grab onto something sturdy. This'll hurt a little." She waited until he took her seriously and gripped the top of the cage. Then she held her cut palm over the gaping chest wound and dripped three small drops of her own, immune blood onto it. They sizzled audibly and the leader's fingers tightened hard on the metal. It took a few minutes for Ibis to go over all the wounds and drip her precious blood on them, only pausing once to have her hand cut again when the blood began to coagulate and form a freshly closed gash.

Finally she stopped her search and held her aching hand close to her chest, stumbling a little. She felt Spitz reach out and hold her up roughly, most likely putting on a tough show so his leader didn't think that he was helping her because of personal want. Ibis gazed up at the leader, who was in the middle of watching his chest wound stop leaking pus with a satisfied grin on his face. "Okay, you got your antidote. How about helping _me _out?" Her voice was soft and breathless. She felt a little lightheaded. The leader looked up and his grin grew wider.

"Ah, yes. Turn around." Not thinking clearly, Ibis followed his instruction and blinked in a disorientated way at Spitz. His face was half shocked (most likely because she looked punch-drunk) and half…sympathetic? She wondered why he would be feeling sorry for her for only a second before a thick hand grabbed her throat and lifted her off her feet. She hadn't the strength to fight back as the leader tossed her limp body into the cage once more, making her head crack against a bar, and slam the door shut. He laughed evilly and locked the padlock, then told the other lizards to follow him back upstairs. Ibis pushed herself up weakly just in time to spot Spitz from across the room. He turned back and mouthed, "I'll be back as soon as I can" at her. She nodded once before she collapsed onto the board.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Eleven

A rage so intense welled up in Spitz's chest that he clenched his fists hard all the way up from the dungeons. By the time they reached Repton's throne room, his hands hurt from holding back the urge to empty all his frustration and anger on Repton's face. He was sorely tempted to do just that as he watched his eldest brother sit on his throne with a gloating smile on his lips. Even the way he sat, leaning at a leisurely angle with one leg hanging off an arm, made Spitz's scales crawl. He knew that his brother was a power-hungry example of their indifferent race, as he always had been unhappy with the neutral actions of their tribe, but Repton going back on his word was a little unsettling. It wasn't like he hadn't done it before, but to a girl who'd probably saved his life? It was disgusting. Spitz knelt in front of the throne with Leugey and Hoerk, waiting for any instructions. Repton, still humming gleefully to himself, pulled a radio transmitter on a table over to his side and tuned it to a certain channel. He clicked a button a few times on the side of the handheld receiver and then waited. A masculine voice answered the summons.

"Main Cyclonian base to Terra Bogaton. State your purpose." It was most likely a higher-ranking grunt.

"This is Repton. I have very good news for Master Cyclonis. I would like to speak with her myself."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that, Master Repton, sir. Master Cyclonis has ordered that any and all transmissions be put on a waiting list as she is, as she put it, "up to her eyeballs in tiresome Sky Knight antics". But I can tell you that she has said that taking care of these problems will take approximately a week's time."

Spitz found that the grunt's announcement took the edge off Repton's smug mood. "Fine, fine. But if you can, inform her that I have retrieved both the shadow crystal she sent us after AND a weakened Sky Knight for her to do as she pleases."

There was a pause on the other end as the grunt drank this information in. "Master Cyclonis will be delighted to hear that, Master Repton. Good day." The line disconnected with a soft click and Repton replaced the receiver on its hook on the side of the radio.

"Well, boys, are you proud of yourselves? You managed to do something right for once." But Spitz didn't feel an ounce of pride for anything that he'd done under Repton's orders anymore.

Ibis ran a glowing talon along the cement floor behind her cage two days later, leaving a clean cut in it that looked as if it was molded that way from day one. She giggled softly in the half-lit dungeon; the line reminded her of the old stories her mother used to tell her as a child about how, centuries before the Great War, people in correctional facilities (then called jail or prison) would occasionally make tally marks to signify how many days they had been confined. She refrained from doing that, though; she didn't want her captor to wonder how the lines came to be there. It wouldn't be smart or crafty to alert Repton to her weapon's many talents.

A clank at the far end of the dungeon made her become instantly vigilant and Ibis willed her talons to disappear. Her anger drove the cybernetics to the surface and her eyes shone bright fuchsia; it had been two days since Repton had thrown her back into her cage and she was tempted to show him that she wouldn't show mercy like she had before. But, with a mix of disappointment (for it was not Repton) and relief, she noticed that it was Spitz, who was hunched over awkwardly. He closed and locked the door after him and turned, revealing the large soup pot that he had snuck down. He glanced up at her and stumbled back in alarm when he saw her radiant irises staring back at him. She blinked and made her 'netics recede. "Sorry. I was expecting someone else."

"Repton? Naw, he'th not coming back down here until it'th time to take you to Thyclonia." He gave his attention to pulling various items out of the pot.

"Cyclonia? He's taking me to Cyclonis?"

Spitz sighed like he bore a huge weight on his shoulders and nodded. "Don't athk me why, but it'th a good pothibility that he jutht wantth to show you off to her and gain favor…" He removed and experimentally gripped a crowbar in his right hand. With his left, he pushed himself up and walked forward to fit the flat end of the tool into a loose spot between the corner bars of Ibis's cage.

"What're you doin'?"

Trying to answer her question while he attempted to pry the metal walls apart, Spitz said, "I'm…nnggh…I'm getting you out. Technically I could get in loadth…of trouble…just thpending tho much time away from my brotherth and they would eventually find out that I wath doing thomething…rrgh…uh, well, mutinouth."

"Mutinous."

"Yeah, you know, like feeding you againtht my leader'th orderth. They'd be livid…" He braced a foot on the cage and yanked hard with no results.

"So…why _are _you letting me out, if you'll get in trouble?" Ibis absently picked at the loose chest ties of her bodysuit, not aware that a bit of the reason why Spitz was having difficulty extricating the wall off the cage was because she was doing so.

"I…well, I jutht don't like it when…" Ibis could almost hear him brace himself. He cleverly disguised his pause as a hefty pull on the crowbar. "When thomething beautiful ith wrongly trapped." He said this last bit with a strained edge to his voice as he tried the crowbar one last time, but it slipped free of the metal without much damage and he lurched backward. He kept his eyes averted and rolled his shoulders with a puff of breath. Ibis blushed as she watched the fine muscles underneath his scales ripple with the movement. She cleared her throat.

"And, as much as I like a cute man doing something both chivalrous and enjoyable to observe, I have to say that I don't like it when said man is overexerting himself when the job is done much easier." Spitz licked his lips unconsciously and puzzled over everything that statement could have meant. Ibis took advantage of that lapse in conversation to extent a shimmering talon and sink its tip into the keyhole on her side of the lock. She heard the metal components sizzle and melt with the aid of the poison in her claw. Spitz must've heard it too because he glanced warily at the lock and stopped kneading his sore neck muscles. Ibis smiled and popped her lips a few times as she pushed the now opened door out and stepped onto the grimy floor. Spitz looked at her incredulously.

"Ta-da." Ibis spun on the spot and grinned at the Raptor. "What, didn't know I could do that?" She strode up to him and gently pried the useless crowbar out of his fingers. She felt a great but strange satisfaction when he didn't pull away from her touch and her proximity.

"No! If you could do that, why didn't you ethcape when you woke up?"

Ibis opened her mouth to respond but frowned when she found that she didn't have an answer. "You know…I'm not sure why." She looked up at him silently for a short minute and then smiled once more. "Maybe I thought that there was something worth staying for." His expression was unreadable for the longest time, searching her eyes for a trace of a joke. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed when he figured out that she wasn't kidding. Her eyes twinkled softly in the dark and Spitz felt a warm throb course through his body as if he had just stepped into the sun. His heart trembled, then pounded. "So, Mister Rescue-The-Damsel-In-Distress, now that I'm out, what should I do?" Her voice was little more than an amplified whisper and it sent more waves of heat washing over his scales.

Spitz lightly shook his head to clear the hot fog in it and stepped away to stow the tools in the soup pot again. "I-I'm not sure. I thought I'd take you out into the jungle, but not too far…" Ibis knelt down beside him and began helping him. He calmly took a sharp knife out of her grasp and slid it into the pot. Determined to keep her from riling him up anymore, he kept his eyes on his task until they finished and stood. "Okay, if we're going to thneak you out of here…" He paused and wracked his brain for a solution.

"Why don't I just crawl through that window? My hips are small enough that they'll fit through." At the mention of her hips, Spitz couldn't help looking to confirm her declaration. She walked to the window and her hips swayed hypnotically. Spitz felt his heart thump hard as he thought that her hips appeared very full; he couldn't pry his eyes away. She turned and winked at him. "I'll see you outside." And then she pushed the window open and clambered through the opening.

Minutes later, after admitting to his brothers that he needed some fresh air, Spitz located the window that Ibis had come out of from the outside. The thick humid air felt glorious on his scales after the cold, lightless dungeon. He could feel his heart pumping slower and slower; a ripple of relaxation swept over him immediately and he sat down heavily against the hot stone wall. A grin spread over his face and he closed his eyes, thinking thoughts of Ibis… Ibis!

He jerked up suddenly and opened his eyes, scanning the lush greenery around him for a sign of the enchanting girl. Finding none, he felt disappointment well up in his chest. _Tho she'th ethcaped…well, at leatht she'th going thomewhere thafe…_A wild bird called loudly nearby and he leaned his head back; he found that the sun wasn't nearly as enjoyable now that he knew that he and Ibis wouldn't see each other again. The bird called again, even louder, as he contemplated going back inside.

"Pst…Spitz." Spitz jerked his head around in surprise, sure that he had heard Ibis…did he just imagine it? "Hey, up here, silly." Gazing up, he saw a pair of bright pink eyes flickering at him from the shadows of a large leafy tree almost directly in front of him.

"Ibith?" He stood and peered around for any guards that could be stationed close by.

"What other creature around here do you know of that has fuchsia eyes and can talk?" She revealed herself for a moment in the branches before she hopped down onto the packed earth path with a soft _thump_. He approached her with a great bubble of relief inflating in his stomach. "So," she said as she brushed leaves and dirt off her suit, "what about this jungle did you want to show me?" Not realizing how close he was getting, he gulped hard when she straightened up and they were face to face. Her cheeks flushed pink and she cleared her throat discreetly. She turned away from him, but not before he caught a glimpse of a smile stretching her lips. He smiled as well.

"I, ah, I wath thinking that you would want thome fresh air, probably thee the view from a treetop. We have pretty thunthets around thith time of the year…" Spitz felt himself growing more and more cheerful and optimistic as he stepped up behind her and leaned closer. She didn't move, and here in the shade of the jungle foliage he could feel the heat of her body radiating like the sun's rays against his scales. The urge to pull her against him and savor her mammalian warmth was almost overwhelming. "Oh, Repton would thkin me alive if he knew I wath doing thith," he muttered half to himself as he walked around her to the tree in front of her and began to climb.

"Repton, Repton…what _about_ Repton? Why do you always have to answer to him? Why can't you just do what you want every now and then?" She started to follow him up the trunk.

"Becauthe he'th our Alpha, not to mention he'th our oldetht brother." He hoisted himself up onto a low branch and held out a hand to help Ibis up alongside him. She took it, sending eddies of hot whispers along his arm, and used it to pull herself up to sit next to him.

"Yes, but he shouldn't control every single second of your life. That's just…" She petered out when she couldn't find the words for the indignation she was feeling on his behalf.

"I know. But that'th how it alwayth hath been with my brotherth, even when we were jutht little hatchlingth, he wath the one that wath motht confident and he alwayth got what he wanted before any of uth did. He grew much fathter than we did, too." Spitz reclined back on a large branch and watched Ibis.

"Mm. So I guess there's a lot I still don't know about Raptor society…" She looked lost in thought for a moment before she turned around and faced Spitz with a sexy smile that made his spine tingle. "What about that sunset you mentioned? It's almost time for that, isn't it?" Spitz nodded and took her hand to guide her up through the maze of branches. The scales of that hand sizzled deliciously.

"Almotht…" Spitz murmured. He and Ibis now sat on a well-suited bough, peering through the thick leaves at the blazing sun as it dipped lower and lower on the horizon. There were many stretches of silence as they waited for the glowing disc to sink, none of them uncomfortable at all. Spitz found himself glancing over at Ibis more than once, reveling in the sheer beauty she possessed. It wasn't that she was perfect, he realized, but the mere fact that he could see how lanky her hair was, how dirty her skin was, and how tired she looked, and still he couldn't take his eyes off her, even when she caught him staring and smiled even wider at him. Her own eyes were filled to the brim with unbridled joy and serenity unlike anything he'd ever seen before and her features stood out in the orange light of the sunset. She was simply beautiful beyond compare. And the great thing was that Spitz didn't feel one bit guilty or shy as both he and Ibis reached down and grasped the other's hand while the sun bled out across the sky and stained the clouds with the same shade of pink as Ibis's hair.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Twelve

Finally the day to present Ibis to Cyclonis had come. Spitz knew that this would eventually have to happen; he'd been dreading it since he'd escorted her back down from the tree to her cage. Something about being able to hold her hand had made her fate, whatever it was destined to be, that much more real to him. And he knew that he had a real reason to fear for her safety and even for her life: Cyclonis was well-known nowadays for killing whoever displeased her, or else playing with her prisoners until they died from pain, blood loss, or exhaustion. Either way, the futures of the enemies and peons in her grasp were doomed. Spitz didn't want Ibis to end that way, weakened at the telepathic hand of the ruthless older woman. He would rather let her be free, but the shackles of his loyalty to his brothers and their race's rigid laws kept him bound. It felt wrong to try and go against any plans or orders.

Spitz stood in his darkened room with his stomach churning and his spine tingling horribly as he fastened the clasps on his most formal uniform. Since they didn't frequently have an in-person audience with Master Cyclonis herself, they tried to look their best when they did. This uniform wasn't too different from his normal one apart from the fact that it had much less wear and tear on it. It wasn't covered with dirt and scuffs, but it also wasn't soft, lenient, and accustomed to his movements. It also had sharper, longer spikes on the armor pads.

A knock on his door made him turn and snap out of his gloomy thoughts. "I'll be out in a thecond. Jutht wait!" His apprehension had made his bad temper arise, and he became surprised with himself. Ever since Ibis had shown up in his life, he had been a calmer, more tolerant lizard. He supposed that he had grown used to not being so resentful anymore. He stepped through his door and glared halfheartedly up into Leugey's scared, childish eyes. Immediately feeling guilty for barking at his younger brother, he softened his glare and clapped Leugey on the arm. "Thorry, big guy. Come on, let'th go."

Ibis walked calmly, resignedly, down the grand hall to Cyclonis's main throne room with her hands chained together. The Raptor leader, Repton, had kept one hand and both eyes on her at all times since he had her retrieved from the dungeons. Even now, he held one of her shoulders in a tight grip. He was probably making sure that she didn't decide to attack him and his brothers, and then run off. But Ibis knew that she could not struggle in this. She knew it was easier to go along with their plans if only to try and make her fate less drawn out. Meanwhile, she thought, if she was to die soon, she might as well take in the beauty of the dimly lit, tapestry-laden, thickly carpeted hall.

Most of the tapestries depicted the Cyclonian empire "keeping the peace" in their new, enslaved world. The carpets were plush and luxurious, far more comfortable than anything she'd ever felt beneath her feet. The fabric of the rugs swallowed their combined footfalls; the only noises in the high-ceilinged hall were the rustlings of scales and the clanking of weapons on armor. She could feel Spitz's anxious eyes on her as they neared the end of the walkway; she decided that if her life was forfeit, then at least she had had something worth remembering as she died: the memory of their short history together, starting with the caves and ending with the beautiful sunset that seemed so long ago now.

As they rounded the corner at the end, they came upon two of the largest doors she'd ever seen outside of the Skyknight Academy, except that they were not wooden like those at the school had been. These looked as if they were made from titanium, a rare, nearly extinct metal. If there had been any sort of artwork in the metal itself, she could see none, for there were two tapestries hanging from the tops of the dual doors to the floors. The long hangings were a black as dark as despair with an eggplant-purple border. The large figure pictured an elegantly dressed young woman with slick, raven hair and eyes like amethysts but, unlike the pretty gems, they sparkled not with age and beauty but seemingly with hatred and haughty arrogance. Ibis concluded that this angry woman was none other than Cyclonis. She knew that few outside of Cyclonia's borders had seen the leader up close, so she could only assume who it was. Her curiosity was immediately satisfied as the twin doors were pulled apart and the inner chamber was revealed.

The room she was escorted into was large, round, and almost empty except for the long, purple rug that extended to the raised dais on which an elaborate throne sat. The room had no windows, so the air inside was slightly stuffy and a bit more than shadowy. As her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she felt herself being escorted farther on, closer to the throne. Once she could see properly, she saw a slim but curvy figure, reminiscent of her own, sitting on the large chair. The person's slender hands were laid gently on the arms of the chair, the fingers of one of those hands tapping softly against the wood. Out of politeness, Ibis kept her eyes from the person's face, knowing full and well that that person was Cyclonis, and if she wanted at least a shred of the woman's favor, she should keep her "unworthy" eyes averted. Her Skyknight honor and her pride battled with her common sense and manners on that point, arguing that it would suit Ibis better to be defiant to the last. The doors shut behind them with a muffled thud, and then she and the Raptors were alone with the leader of Cyclonia.

It was silent for a minute as Ibis felt the leader's eyes rove over her questioningly. "So, Repton, this is the captured Skyknight you mentioned?" Her words were murmured, but the room was so quiet that it was as if she had shouted them. The woman's voice was silky and soft, but hidden within that smooth covering was a razor-edged knife ready to pierce through and strike.

"Yes, Master Cyclonis. I thought it would please you to being one step closer to your inevitable takeover of the Skyknights. This one in particular is a unique specimen." At that statement, Ibis felt the air tighten a little as Cyclonis's curiosity rose.

"Hmm. How so?"

"She has a strange new weapon that cannot be seen from the outside unless she summons a terrifying, inner beast. I suffered firsthand from her attacks and was nearly irreversibly poisoned by her crystal energy."

There was another prolonged silence as Cyclonis drank this in. "I see." She sounded very interested. "And the shadow crystal you were originally supposed to retrieve?"

"Here, Master Cyclonis." Repton didn't hesitate to reach roughly into the front of Ibis's bodysuit and yanked the little leather pouch free from around her neck, snapping the cord. "Spitz, hold the girl." She felt Spitz's long fingers wrap gently around her upper arms as Repton's hand left her shoulder. She could feel that he was restraining a bit of anger from entering his grip. Repton stepped forward as he pulled the pouch open and produced the shadow crystal. There was something strange about seeing the crystal now, Ibis thought. Before, even in a lightened room back on the Condor, it had shone with a fierce, defiant inner light. Now, in more hospitable conditions for its purpose, it should have glowed brighter than ever, but it was dull and it looked as if it had lost its luster.

The rustles and clicks that followed the crystal's presentation alerted Ibis to Cyclonis's movements. She peeked up and saw the older woman descending the dais to stand in front of them. She held out her hand commandingly and received the tiny stone. She glared critically at it and held it up as if to examine it under a light. Her dark eyes sparked with undisguised rage a moment before she hurled the crystal at the far wall to her right and made it shatter into many, pitiful pieces.

"Repton, how stupid do you think I am?" The woman, who was much shorter than the lead Raptor, now seemed much larger than him as she straightened her spine and raised her chin. The scruff of her cloak extended into spines with plant-like patience, and her voice now trembled with barely restrained rancor, the knife's sharp tip straining to poke through the velvety cloth and rip it into oblivion.

"My lady…. what have I done to displease you?" Repton shrank down as Cyclonis continued to swell with fury. His cowering almost made Ibis feel sorry for him amid the intense pleasure she felt at his emasculating behavior. "Is it not the shadow crystal you asked for?"

"It is indeed the shadow crystal…" Cyclonis paused to swallow some of her anger so that she could answer without speaking through bared, clenched teeth. "…But it is _drained_, you pathetic scrap of carrion! Did you think that I would not notice the absence of its power?" Her eyes rested on Repton for a second before she flicked them to Ibis, who took the full brunt of the Cyclonian's wrath without a flinch. Instead, Ibis raised her chin to an appropriate level and nodded respectfully at Cyclonis. The other woman looked puzzled for an instant, and then began questioning Repton again. "Did you leave this Skyknight unshackled while _wearing_ that crystal?" When Repton did not answer, Cyclonis held out an empty hand and a long, thin, black staff flew into it. The staff, upon a second's inspection, had long, skeletal, mechanical fingers that clasped together into a point like a cage for the large, purple oblivion crystal they housed. Another smaller oblivion crystal was perched on the bottom point of the staff. When Cyclonis menacingly stabbed the weapon at Repton, he and his brothers flinched away from it.

"She could've used up the crystal energy while she was imprisoned, you dolt!" Cyclonis's naturally pale features were flushed and contorted with anger as she punctuated ever other word with another jab with her crystal spear. "I knew you were dim creatures, but I had no idea that you could be so utterly brainless, leaving something so precious in the hands of an enemy for days on end! I expected better from you, Repton, _and_ from your ragtag band of half-wit flunkies." Cyclonis then whirled on Ibis and nearly impaled her on the spear. "You, girl! What have you done to the crystal?"

Unable to supply the enraged woman with a truthful answer about the crystal's lack of power, as she did not have one, Ibis took a deep breath and looked Cyclonis in the eye. "As far as I know, ma'am, I have done nothing except scar Repton and take up space in his dungeon. I did know that the crystal was potent, but my academics did not prepare me to handle such a dark item." Ibis unwaveringly held her gaze: calm, icy blue against furious, challenging purple.

Finally, after what seemed like an entire day, Cyclonis pulled back her staff. "I believe you, young miss. But I just have one question."

"Ask away, ma'am."

"Why is it that you have no animosity for me? I am the empress of Cyclonia and I represent all that you have been taught to oppose, and yet you stand here and answer me as politely and with as much respect as if you and I were old friends. You _are _a Skyknight?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then why no insults, death threats, or accusations meant to make me feel guilty for the misdeeds I have done? All the other captured Skyknights have struggled against their many restraints and shouted curses at me from afar…and here you stand, not two feet from me, with an inquiring expression and apparently not a dark word on your sweetly-spoken tongue. You haven't even pulled at your cuffs." Cyclonis seemed rather perturbed by Ibis's clear absence of hatred that it was almost as if Ibis were either a contagious pathogen or a revoltingly cute, fluffy animal; she could just imagine that she looked out of place in this depressing throne room with her bright pink hair, rosy cheeks and lips, and wide blue eyes.

"It is simple, ma'am. Even though I have been told that you should be treated with nothing less than my worst behavior, I do not think as narrowly as the professors, scientists, and politicians on Terra Atmosia. I prefer to be neutrally loyal; I feel that if you have attained a position of high rank as you have, then you are immediately worthy of just as much respect as a monarch. I give respect to those who earn it, whether it is directly or indirectly. There is so much more than stark white and pitch black in our conflicting world; there is, more often than not, a vast expanse of gray that stretches infinitely in either direction." Ibis finished her little speech with a slight bow of her head and shoulders in Cyclonis's direction.

"And you mean all of this?" Master Cyclonis sounded almost breathless with awe that a Skyknight could be so unbiased.

"Of course. I would not have said it if I didn't believe that it was true."

A minute passed as Cyclonis swept Ibis again with her eyes in silence. "Repton." The Raptor leader winced at her commanding tone. "Unlock the girl's shackles."

"But my lady, she is extremely dangerous—"

"Do as I say, Repton, or I'll do it myself and ask her to demonstrate her abilities on YOU." She swung the staff around and poked it at the healing dent in his armored chest. He immediately complied, whipping out a key from his waistband and removing Ibis's cuffs. As Ibis rubbed her sore wrists and flexed her bloodless fingers, Cyclonis stepped back and motioned for Spitz to release her. He did so, letting his own fingers drift for a mere second longer than needed to show her his regret at leaving her side. She glanced back at him, then at Cyclonis. "Alright, young Skyknight. Show me this 'terrifying inner beast' that Repton fears so much."

"I'm afraid I can't show you completely, ma'am." She felt a flash of shame as she said it, knowing that it would hurt her chances with Cyclonis. "The nervous-program I've been implanted with seems to have a weird glitch that I only just learned to master a few months after its installation. I can summon small parts of it and still retain my human consciousness, but if I go any further with it, the girl you see before you will disappear into my subconscious and the Beast emerges. The problem with that is that the Beast is more interested in hunting and maiming and killing than in loyalty and respect; it's useful but deadly. I wouldn't want you caught in any crossfire."

"Is there some way of controlling the 'Beast'?" Cyclonis now looked genuinely interested in hearing Ibis's explanations.

"I've gotten as far as I can for now, and that was no mean feat; I don't know what it would take to control it even further. But, ma'am, you especially should know that if something this wild is controlled too much, then it starts to lose its true purpose and becomes little more than a pet."

"I see. Could you show me what your current control is like?" Ibis nodded and closed her eyes, summoning forth the fuchsia energy to the surface of her skin. The pink light was now diluted with small, dark spots, and Ibis didn't hesitate to look closer and run through a list of disease and sickness symptoms to see if she had any. Almost as soon as she did, she gasped as her mind plunged into her memories and dragged out the night that she fought Repton.

She remembered her waning strength, the setting sun, the little pouch that protected the shadow crystal being pressed close against her skin, and, up until now, the unexplained surge of energy that she had felt at the very end. "Master Cyclonis…I think I know what happened to the shadow crystal."

Cyclonis had been hovering near Ibis's glowing body, examining her with unmasked curiosity. At Ibis's statement, she looked up and drew herself up. "Yes, go on."

"I think…I think the scientists that gave me this program left out the fact that…that I can absorb crystal energy." Ibis flexed her bright talons, bare of any traces of the shadow crystal's color.

"Hmm." Cyclonis peered at Ibis for a moment, then held her staff's bottom point out to her. "Try showing me proof of that."

"I'll try, ma'am." Ibis reached out for the bottom oblivion crystal, wrapping her hand around its delicate surface. She tried mentally to draw the energy towards her; she was instantly rewarded with a wave of strength that prickled at her muscles. She let go of the empty, little rock and watched as her pink turned a violent bruise-like color for a split second, then receded back to its original shade.

"Interesting developments…" Cyclonis nodded gently and turned away, lost in thought. "Answer me this: if I gave you a target _before _you unleashed the Beast, would you still go after that target?"

"I suppose so, ma'am. Up until now, I haven't attacked any of my comrades, only the people I set my mind to."

Master Cyclonis about-faced and smirked dangerously. "Then, to make up for the shadow crystal you accidentally absorbed, my dear, I would like you to prove your worth to me. If I am pleased, then you may stay alive on the Cyclonian side as part of my army. We could use someone of your caliber here. You would be free to do as you wished, as long as you didn't turn against my servants or me. You will be given anything your heart desires, anything at all."

"How would you like me to prove myself, my lady?" Ibis bent from the waist down in a respectful bow.

Cyclonis's grin widened into a manic, toothy smile much like the Beast's. "By attacking Repton."


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Thirteen

Spitz felt a shock run through his cold blood, turning it to ice. Attack Repton? Yes, he'd given her a drained crystal instead of the promised, fully functional one, but there was no reason for her to sick any "Beast" Ibis could become on him. What "Beast" were they talking about? He looked at Ibis now, her dirty, lanky pink hair hanging around her cheeks in sad, little strands and her eyes looking just as questioning as he felt. She gazed at Cyclonis first, and then at Repton. Repton's expression would have been comical if they weren't in such a serious situation; his eyes bulged from their sockets in clear fright and his mouth was set thinly set in a grim line. Spitz fought back the slight urge to laugh at his eldest brother's face and returned his attention to Ibis.

"…As you wish, Master." Her soft blue eyes sharpened as she glared at Repton through her hair. Twinkling sparks of fuchsia lit up behind her irises and Spitz was forcibly reminded of the day he had come into the dungeon and she had unknowingly pinned him with those glowing orbs. She had said that she had been hoping her visitor that day was Repton. Did she mean to make him pay now for going back on his word then? Ibis stepped back several steps and lowered her head, keeping her eyes locked on Repton beneath her brows. Her shoulders were tense, her arms and legs recalling images of coiled springs. Repton gasped as he glanced at Ibis's predatory stance and then spluttered out a complaint to Cyclonis, who waved away his attempts to change her mind.

"You were brainless enough to let your group be beaten _and _you failed to retrieve a charged shadow crystal for me. If she does indeed kill you, then you are simply too weak and stupid to lead any Cyclonian branch and you are a disgrace. If you survive, then perhaps I will allow you to step down from your position as leader to grunt." Cyclonis turned to Ibis. "Proceed when you are comfortable, girl."

Spitz held his breath as the air around them became tight and constricted. He watched Ibis lift her lips to form the beginnings of a snarl. Now her pretty face began to look menacing, and a shiver of awe mixed with shock rattled up his spine. Her eyes glinted brightly in the dark room, their original stormy blue completely swallowed by burning pink. A faint mechanical whine grew in the room, its origin unknown. Master Cyclonis smirked wider and stepped away from Ibis back to the raised dais. Ibis knelt down into a crouch with her back hunched over and her head low, and, as if from an instinctual warning, Spitz, Hoerk, and Leugey backed up several feet from Repton. Only Repton seemed rooted to the spot and unable to move. His scared, vulnerable eyes were trapped within the web of Ibis's hypnotic stare and the tip of his long, powerful tail twitched in a rapid, nervous motion.

Time seemed to slow as Spitz finally located the source of the whining. He glanced away from his older brother and watched Ibis's visible skin erupt with pink light. The faint, blood vessel-shaped lines made her look smaller and thinner than she actually was and a low, guttural growl tore out from between her clenched jaws. Finally the tension in the air was broken as Ibis seemed to gather herself on the inside and burst into the shape of the Beast with the same bloodcurdling scream that Spitz had heard the night of her kidnapping. Long, hot pink spikes thrust out from the bottom of her skull to the tip of her tailbone, talons that stabbed cruelly into the floor grew from her hands and toes, and sharp magenta fangs forced their way through the enamel of her teeth.

Now her bloodshot, irritated red eyes flickered across Repton's face and her unhinged jaw closed as she levered herself up on all fours, her much-longer legs raising her backside into the air. She snarled loudly and the last spike on her tailbone drooped and lengthened into a glowing, pink, whip-like tail. The tail rose and fidgeted angrily between her legs, and Spitz cast one more glance over her transformed body. A dark thrill made his slow pulse race with heady passion; she looked just like every female Raptor that he had seen during mating season back home in the Tribe. Her raised bottom and false tail evoked the images and sounds of animalistic, primitive loving in his mind. Underneath all the fearsome body language, she was beautiful and powerful.

A final, soft hiss escaped Ibis's maw, and her tense muscles relaxed into a dangerous prowling stance, her tail still flicking back and forth. In response, Repton slowly began backing away, panting rapidly and holding his arms up to shield himself. Ibis's eyes crinkled up from her stretched lips forming an effigy of a smile, and she gathered her muscles in one last crouch before she flat-out raced at her retreating prey. Repton steeled himself and swept an arm out to smack Ibis as she came close. The sound of flesh hitting flesh was too loud in the room now as everyone held their breath. Ibis took advantage of her moving weight and used the momentum from Repton's attack to whip around and strike him in turn across the face with her tail. The bright, strangely solid light snapped over his cheek and nose, drawing blood immediately. She skidded away from there, hissing in warning. Repton clasped his bleeding cheek and a dark cloud descended over his features.

His fear gone, he tackled Ibis and let out a snarl of his own. Ibis let out an angry screech like an animal whose tail had been stepped on and clung to Repton's thrashing frame with her claws dug in. Spitz watched with horror as his eldest brother's rage consumed him. Repton's jaws opened wide as he and Ibis wrestled and tumbled across the floor, and he sank his teeth into her shoulder. From between Ibis's lips, a bark of very human laughter rang out, bordering on morbid amusement, and Repton howled with pain as Ibis's talons bore into the tender flesh on his skull and pulled down towards his neck. Thick, dark gouts of blood began flowing down his shoulders as he threw Ibis from him. Spitz could see the gums surrounding his bared teeth were starting to swell slowly; Spitz remembered observing the quick effects of the poison and immediately felt ashamed of Repton for letting his anger get the better of him and biting to draw blood.

Ibis stood and grinned in what was plainly a seductive way as she licked the blood from the tips of her claws. Spitz felt a shiver run through him again at her open, dangerous, animal sexuality, and the urge to pin her down and fight her for the right to take her body was very strong. Her eyes were a strange mix of blue and pink now, glittering like multicolored gems in the poorly lit throne room. Ibis withdrew her claws from her tongue and laughed sharply, mockingly, in Repton's direction. His pupils dilated as he shook with ire and barreled at his challenger again, clearly blinded to the point where he could no longer think straight. Whipping out his boomerang, he raced like an animal, panting furiously and allowing saliva to gather at the corners of his mouth and foam. Ibis stood still, facing him point blank, with a slightly disgusted, superior look to her features as Repton charged. The boomerang lit up with a fiery impatience, and Repton swung it at Ibis. At the last moment Ibis raised her left hand and grasped the keen edge of the blade. As the molten metal touched her fair, bright skin, she screamed in what appeared to be pain, and then swung her free fist into Repton's cheek. Hard. The sound of cracking bone resounded in the room and the stench of scorched flesh quickly followed. With growing alarm, Spitz kept his eyes on the now diminishing crystal flames as his brother collapsed on the floor. When he saw those same flames flickering in the luminous veins under Ibis's skin, he knew instantly that she had, in her own defense, absorbed the crystal's energies.

Ibis drew in a steadying breath to quiet her gasps of pain. She let out the breath in a huff and tried to resume her cool calmness from before, but the indignity of being burned came to the surface and erupted from her throat as a growl. She leaned down and, with amazing strength that she shouldn't have possessed, hauled the stunned Repton up from the ground and flung him angrily at the nearest wall. His shoulder connected with the stone and another snapping noise made everyone save Ibis flinch. He woke from his paralyzed state and howled in agony as he fell to his knees, clutching his shoulder tenderly. Soft, but dry, sobs echoed in the throne room. Spitz could feel Hoerk and Leugey's disbelief and shock. It had been so long since they had heard the sound of Repton crying that they might have forgotten that he was only mortal. He had always seemed so powerful that they probably assumed he wasn't capable of feeling pain. Now they were shaken, and Spitz had to admit that even he was a little moved.

Unperturbed, Ibis began examining the searing wound on her palm and the warm fire licking its way through her nervous implants. The pink of her poisonous energy gradually peeked through the inferno energy, then swallowed it altogether. She drew another breath and let it go with a satisfied sigh, then locked her eyes on Repton's hunched form. A flash of gentle pity seemed to consume her at that moment, and her uninjured hand reached out for him as the pink in her eyes faded a little. When she reached him, he struck out at her burn with sharp claws and a look of defiance. The pink light resumed with full force, and the Beast took over completely with a snarl of discomfort. Repton was dragged by his cranial spikes to the middle of the room and every inch of visible scales was scored with the stolen inferno energy.

Spitz knew that his respect for his eldest brother would never be the same. Repton's weak pleas for mercy and wet crying noises were the only sounds aside from the slight _whoosh _of Ibis's fiery claws moving quickly through the air.

Then, just as soon as the whole fight had started, it was over. Ibis powered down and stepped over Repton, who cowered in a fetal position, to stand at the end of Master Cyclonis's dais. She bowed slowly and held herself there to await further instructions. Master Cyclonis's cruel features glowed in the light from her remaining shadow crystal, and Spitz could see that she was very pleased with what she saw.

"My dear…I don't believe I ever caught your name. Pray tell, what do they call you?" Her silky voice was a purr of satisfaction.

"Ibis, my lady." As Ibis straightened up, Spitz felt a flutter in his chest at the sound of Ibis's beautiful voice.

"Well, then, Miss Ibis, I must say that…you are quite the weapon. I take it that your haste to perform my request adequately is the acceptance of my offer?"

"It is."  
>"Then welcome to the Cyclonian ranks, my dear!" Cyclonis stood and opened her arms warmly, which was unusual. Cyclonis never showed such preference of her inferiors. Maybe she was proud of her good fortune for securing such an asset. "Of course, there is some legal business to attend to, but for now, do not worry yourself over it. I can see that you are past due for proper treatment, and I won't delay you in reaching your new home."<p>

"New home, ma'am?"

"Why, yes. Since that useless bag of meat on the floor over there isn't worth much as a leader, you may take over the leadership of the Raptor Rogues, but only if you wish. If not, there are plenty of other, better places available to you." Pausing to give Ibis a moment of thought on that subject, she gathered her staff and descended the dais to stand before her new employee.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ibis's face glowed with happiness. "I would be honored to take over the Rogues for you, Master." She knelt at Cyclonis's feet. Cyclonis ceremoniously tapped the lighted end of her staff on each of Ibis's shoulders, and Ibis stood with the help of Cyclonis's hand.

"Oh, yes, Ibis. I believe you and I will become great allies in the fight for power." With a glance at Repton, who was now collecting himself and standing up gently, she finished in a thinly disguised tone of disgust, "And on your way out, please ask one of my guards to send a janitorial team in here to cleanse my precious carpet."

Spitz thought Cyclonis meant that there was an excess of blood on her floor. The true meaning of her words came into view as he saw his eldest brother cover his crotch on the way out of the throne room.

Poor Repton, in his brief moment of fear and weakness, had had an accident all over the rug.

"I'm sorry you had to see all that. I didn't mean for the Beast to be so…"

"It'th okay. I knew you were jutht getting back at Repton for hurting you latht week. He detherved it, though." Spitz gently held Ibis's burnt hand as he reached for the little bowl of burn salve next to him. They were in the infirmary on Terra Bogaton, and luckily, Spitz was the only one of Ibis's new inferiors who knew how to mix a healing poultice from the plants in the jungle. He told Ibis he had picked it up from his mother when he and his brothers still lived on their native terra.

Ibis was silent for a time as she relished in the soothing cool of the green paste. Her eyes flickered over the bits of salve that clung to his scaly fingertips as he traced the mixture over her tender skin. She was strangely relieved that she had ordered the others to their respective rooms instead of having them witness what she felt could be a tender moment between her and Spitz. She felt a pair of eyes on her then and looked up into his rice-shaped pupils. Heat suffused over her face at his expression: it was both soft and fierce at the same time, a pure combination of what she assumed to be endearment and lust.

"S-so, that's feeling pretty good. I'm so lucky to have you here to help me. I've always hated burns." She felt suddenly self-conscious and lowered her gaze to her palm. "Um…what did you think of the Beast? I know I can be pretty scary when I'm like that."

Spitz's fingers loosened their grip on her wrist, like he had been disappointed. She knew he had been. But almost as quickly, they regained strength, like new resolve had been found. A tingle went through her stomach when she realized that that was what she had wanted; she wanted him to fight for her affection and earn it. He continued spreading the salve into her hand, and she could hear the honesty in his rasping tone.

"I loved it. I can't theem to get enough of theeing you when you're thweet and kind, but I didn't regret theeing you unleash your wilder half…" He paused for a moment while he let the thin layer of salve sink in. When he dipped his fingers into the bowl again, he continued. "You thay that the thientithtth who gave you that thythtem intended to make you into an animal, but if you athk me, I thay you would be jutht ath dangerouth and ferociouth if you didn't have the program. I think the only reathon you're tho feral and animal-like is becauthe you were alwayth like that naturally."

At his words, Ibis was reminded of that dimly lit bar and the sound of the bartender's skull being dented beyond repair against his own counter. The ferocity she had felt then, the power that had coursed through her veins so refreshing and true that she had been saddened by the sensation of it fading away. She had felt real and whole then, perfectly in line with her own self…A soft gasp woke her from her thoughts, and she looked up. She hadn't realized that she had gripped Spitz's hand tightly. The salve that hadn't yet sunk in was now pressed between their clasped hands and was oozing out past their fingers. She glanced up apologetically, but before she could say the words, Spitz smiled wickedly at her. "You know you've alwayth been different, huh?"

"Yeah…how'd you know?"

"My brotherth and I are different from our tribethmen back on our home terra. It'th not a hard trait to recognithe." He concentrated on applying the last bit of salve and setting the empty bowl in the infirmary's sink. Then he turned back to her and leaned against the lip of the sink. "Tho what made you…different?"

Ibis lowered her eyes and kept quiet. Sure, the Raptor Rogues were separate from the tribe they came from, and probably were separate for a good reason, but what she did…would it be acceptable? Better yet, she wondered, would _Spitz_ find it acceptable? "I don't really want to say," she replied. Glancing up, she felt a shiver rack her spine as she got an eyeful of the look on his face. It was the same mixture of craving and adoration as before. This time, though, she could tell he was about to act on his feelings.

He pushed himself up from the counter and came closer to her with a slow, predatory prowl that made a band of heat sizzle on her body somewhere down below. Her heart wriggled in her chest as he leaned down and brushed her hair away from her ear. The tremble that ran through her body wrung a tiny, pleading whimper from her throat, and she could see Spitz silently take in a sharp breath. Her eyes watched the movement of his chest as he did. Suddenly the impulse to place her hands on the smooth, cool plates of armor on his chest was overwhelming; the urge to press herself up against him and feel his arms wrap around her small waist was almost too great to resist, but she fought it.

"Are you thcared that I won't like what I hear?" His rough, hissy voice was practically substantial as it ran a course across her skin. For a split second, she imagined his hands taking the place of the words and skimming down over her bare back. Just the thought made her forget what he had asked. He didn't repeat the question; instead he hooked a finger under her chin and made her look in his eyes. Raw, unadulterated desire radiated from him as she nodded slowly. "You could cut me to ribbonth, and I thtill wouldn't give a damn about what you'd done; I'd thtill like you," he said.

Her tongue flicked out and wet her lips unconsciously. His eyes drank in each swipe across her pink mouth and, as she stopped, he closed them with a guttural moan a second before his mouth pressed against hers.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Fourteen

A wave of hopelessness rose and crashed in Xandra's chest as she searched the Wastelands below Finn's hovering Skimmer. It had been so long since she'd seen her friend, and they had all searched long and hard for Ibis. Not one terra had gone unchecked, not one witness to their fight with the Raptors had gone unquestioned, and not one corner of the vast, boiling Wastelands nearby had gone unsearched. But still they had found no trace of the girl with the pink hair. A fresh wash of pain scored over her heavy heart as she gave up on her last hope of ever seeing Ibis again. Aerrow had called her over and over through the intercom on the bike, but she had ignored his request every time and continued her frantic pursuit. Now it was completely black outside, and her weary eyes could barely focus on details anymore. She radioed in to Aerrow and asked him to have Stork bring the Condor around. It was too late to press on tonight.

When she had secured the bike on the magnetic lift inside the hanger, Finn walked through the hanger bay doors and immediately wrapped his arms around her without a word. She buried her head in his chest and hugged her arms around his middle, squeezing tight. It was a small gesture, but very significant. In the last week and a half, he had begun to see just how affected his girlfriend—yes, his girlfriend—had become. It pained him to see her once bright, lineless face resume its mask of sorrow every morning. The night they had come back to the Condor after the fight, she had begun sleeping in his bed with him just for the comfort of another human being. He assumed that trying to sleep in the cold, lonely room that she had once shared with Ibis now felt alien and uninhabitable without her. The loss of the person she had grown up with had ravaged her hard, and now she was just an empty shell.

He led her up to the bridge and settled her on the couch next to Piper, who took over comforting her. Finn found it a bit amazing how quickly Piper had gone from detesting Xandra to trying to keep her happy. For now, though, she just placed a blanket over Xandra's shoulders and handed her a cup of hot chocolate. Finn sat between Xandra and Junko and sighed heavily. Junko was taking it hard, too. He had tried just as hard as Xandra to find Ibis, and once, Finn had heard soft sobs coming from his room. Now it was very disconcerting to see dark circles under Junko's eyes and the ever-present expression that adorned his face made Finn pity him a little; he always looked like he was about to cry. Junko had been the stone wall that everyone could lean back on, the one constant that never wavered. Now it was gone, and it felt like a rug had been tugged out from under Finn's feet.

It wasn't just Xandra and Junko that were acting funny. Aerrow now almost always looked angry with himself, as if it was his fault that Ibis was gone, and his lips were always set in a grim, pursed line. He moved jerkily and even Radarr stayed clear of him. Stork's new attitude might not have been the most drastic, like the others, but it was by far the scariest. He had developed a "thousand-yard stare", a blank, soulless look that persisted and seemed as if it didn't register anything. He would steer around dangerous obstacles at the last minute, barely touch his food, and not even pretend he could hear what people would say to him. The strangest thing about his behavior, though, wasn't his lack of activity. It was the fact that he didn't seem lost to the world; on the contrary, Finn had a hunch that Stork was lost _in thought_.

That night, Stork finally spoke up.

"I know where she might be."

His words rang emptily in the bridge. Everyone was silent, staring at him as though they believed him to be crazy. It wasn't hard to think that Stork was nuts, but this time there was probably no denying that he wasn't just a little loose upstairs. Aerrow turned on him and hissed softly, "Where could she possibly be that we haven't looked already?"

"Think about it. We've already checked everywhere around here, and we've looked in places that she most likely wouldn't be in; what if the Raptors took her?"

Aerrow opened his mouth to contradict the pilot, but found that he had no answer to Stork's theory. Instead, he stalked to the crescent-shaped couch and sat without a sound. Stork took a few minutes to dock the Condor at the entrance to a bed-and-breakfast located on a tiny terra, and then, when he finished turning off all the engines, he turned and leaned on the wheel handles with a slightly arrogant air. He seemed proud that he had stumped Aerrow for the moment, but the Sky Knight wasn't through yet.

"What if they _did _take her? It's been nearly two weeks since then; why would they even bother keeping her alive?" The air in the bridge became brittle as Finn, Piper, and Junko mentally urged Aerrow to stop implying Ibis was dead. Xandra continued staring into her cup, but they could all feel her holding back another wave of tears.

"Why should they have killed her? For all we know, she's fought her way through all their defenses and is now trying to locate us." Hope was restored for a brief second…

Aerrow's mood soured instantly, and he seemed unable to end his pessimism. "I doubt even Ibis can fight off all those Raptors and find a way to us. If she was half the Sky Knight she claimed to be, she'd be here now instead of lying in a ditch on Terra Bogaton—"

"_Stop it!_" Xandra's shriek snapped the tight silence in half, and the shatter and splash of her cup hitting the floor resounded, followed by the sound of her boots clomping quickly out of the bridge and down the hallway beyond the doors. Finn felt the irritation that he'd harbored against Aerrow's attitude take a turn for the worse then, and he launched himself off the couch and took a fistful of Aerrow's uniform, pulling his leader close.

"What did you go and do that for, dickhead? It's hard enough around here without you biting everyone's heads off and making us feel like shit." Aerrow scowled hard at Finn and pushed his hand off his shirt.

"I'm just thinking logically; unlike you guys who seem to think that Ibis is gonna magically reappear because we all worked so hard to find her."

"Then keep it to yourself. Xandra's trying to keep it in check for the sake of keeping this job, and she can't do that when everything you say makes her fly off the handle 'cuz she misses her friend!"

"We haven't heard from Ibis in weeks; she's dead. And Xandra can just get over it." Aerrow about-faced and began to step toward the doors, but Finn grasped a chunk of Aerrow's copper hair and jerked him back. As they were about to exchange blows, Junko's massive hands caught their smaller ones and pushed the two guys apart with ease.

"Finn, don't start a fight right now." Junko released Finn's fist gently. "And Aerrow, you should be more careful about what you say and who you say it around. Especially now." Junko tightened his fingers around Aerrow's hand, pulling a grunt of pain out of the leader before he let go and turned to leave.

"And since when does a member of a crew tell the captain what to do?" Aerrow was still fairly riled up, and his anger made him forget who was bigger and stronger. He forced Junko to twist around and stared him in the eye. Junko met the challenge with all the ferocity he had.

"Since you stopped acting less like a captain and more like a bully." Junko spat out the last word, then brushed Aerrow's hand off his shoulder and continued to his room. Piper and Stork remained silent, waiting for Aerrow's response.

Aerrow took a quiet breath while he rubbed his fist. "Stork, first thing in the morning for you is to set a course for Terra Bogaton." Then he, too, left.

Spitz had spent a fortnight wondering what this angel's lips felt like; now he understood that his imaginings sharply paled in comparison to reality. The moment his lips descended on hers, the world seemed to be quieting and leaning in to peek upon their kiss. Everything outside of Ibis meant nothing. Her lips were softer than the most delicate flower petals from the rarest flora on Bogaton, her breath warmer and sweeter than a pure spring breeze, and her mammalian heat more satisfying than the sun pounding down from a clear sky in a desert. A shiver coasted along his spine, picking up the warmth from her lips and washing it all the way down to his toes.

It felt like an eternity later when they separated. He hardly dared to open his eyes and see her reaction to his very forward action. He dropped his hand from her chin and swallowed nervously. _I shouldn't have done that… _He finally turned away from her and gazed out the infirmary window at the jungle beneath them. All of a sudden, he became very alert to every sound that heavenly creature behind him was making. The chair she had been sitting on creaked a little when she stood and he felt rather than heard the feather-light steps she took to stand right behind him. He found it extremely hard then to keep his attention on the trees below, and not whip around and continue his earlier deed. Her impossibly hot hand lay between his shoulder blades, deliciously burning an imprint into his scales. His breathing quickened under her touch as she pulled him around to face her. Now he looked into her stormy blue eyes and saw the faint hurt in them. He resolved in an instant never to deny her anything her heart desired; seeing her in a state other than happy made a vice-like force squeeze his heart painfully. Another hot little hand cupped his cheek and he immediately complied with her soundless wish.

He wrapped his arms around her slowly, savoring the shapes and angles of her body and hoping that this wouldn't be the last opportunity he had to feel her. Her arms slid around his neck and pulled him back down to her mouth. He saw the tender, spiked shadows from her eyelashes that tickled her cheeks as she closed her eyes, then he felt the petals of her lips against his shamefully rough ones. He stifled a moan of pleasure as her fingers gently ran up his skull and absently played with his spikes. They separated, reconnected, then separated again, testing the waters before they allowed themselves to open their eyes and mutely agree to move forward. They slanted their mouths against the other's and Spitz nearly jumped out of his skin when her wet, molten tongue traced along the outside of his upper lip. Instinct told him to receive her, and he did, parting his lips and flicking his forked tongue past his pointed teeth. Their mouth locked and, in the moist confines, their tongues slid along one another.

Spitz suddenly felt feverish as his and Ibis's joined arousal radiated out in waves of heat; all rational thought was gone the moment she pressed her lovely body against his. He ran his hands over her back, her hips, her sides, and he even slid one hand to the top of her backside while the other dug into her hair and urged her on. Now their breath came hard and their teeth banged together as they struggled to wring every pleasurable feeling out of the moment. With a surge of impatience, Spitz felt that her mouth wasn't enough and he gently tilted her head to the side to trail kisses over her bared neck. With her mouth unoccupied, the sounds Ibis was now free to make were riling him up even more: her breathy sighs and gasps made his heart quiver with delight, and at the same time, the needy moans that were staggered in between made certain parts of his anatomy pay very close attention. Taking a bit of her lily-white skin softly between his teeth and dragging himself back, he reveled in the sight of her eyes rolling back in her head. A dark, passion-filled chuckle reverberated in his chest as he brought her back to his lips. Oh, but it was the most intoxicating thing to be able to kiss this woman and feel her cling to him like she would collapse without his touch.

A soft sound out in the hallway made both of them suddenly very aware that they could be being watched. They both pushed away from the other and stared intently at the open doorway. A full two minutes passed before they looked at each other. Spitz felt the sensation of pride and lust as he took in an eyeful of Ibis's kiss-reddened lips and the faint nip marks on her throat. She was still panting, and she eyed him with an equal amount of ardor, most likely cataloguing the various signs of their play on _his _body. His fingers itched to touch her again, and his tongue ran over his wetted lips as he allowed a slight moan to escape his mouth.

"Wow," she whispered.

"Yeah, wow," he replied. He smiled at her, and his heart swelled as she returned it without hesitation.

"Where'd that all come from?" She stepped closer to him and clasped her hands together as if unsure of what to do with them.

"I don't have a clue, but I liked it." He trailed a finger over her jawbone, eliciting a whimper of desire. Her eyelids drooped a fraction and she leaned closer to him as if to kiss him again. She snapped her eyes open at the last second.

"Oh, we probably shouldn't." Spitz felt a lump of disappointment lay in his stomach like a rock before she continued. "I mean, not where anyone and their brother can see us…" She smiled at him again and gave him a slow, simple kiss.

"You gonna tell me what maketh you different now?" He played with her hair for a moment, his voice barely above a whisper. Ibis paused at that question, averting her eyes.

"Maybe…maybe later. I'm not sure you'll still like me as much afterwards…" She looked up innocently, waiting for an answer.

"I hope you don't have anywhere to go anytime thoon, Ibith, becauthe I plan on convinthing you that one dirty little thecret can't keep me away from you." He planted another kiss on her lips, a slower, sexier version of the last one. She smiled into the kiss and replied in kind with another one. "We should probably go to our roomth now, though. It would theem thuthpiciouth if we took tho long to tend to a little burn." Ibis giggled cutely and took his hand to lead him out of the infirmary.

In his new room, Repton seethed quietly. His brothers had quickly taken sides, preferring to be under the command of that little girl than stand beside their true leader. Of course, his humiliation the day before had contributed to their favoritism, but he had a feeling that they really were afraid of her. It had always worked for Repton to be terrifying and forceful to command all of the respect he needed; at least then they hadn't questioned his word. Surely there was no other way to get someone to do what you said.

It stung, in a way, that he had been knocked down to grunt, a position he had never been, and now he had to go back to following orders from someone he thought was purely unqualified to order about an army such as the one he had amassed in the recent years.

Yet, not only was Repton furious about being unfairly stripped of his rank, not only was he severely upset about being replaced with a greenhorn _girl_ who, at one point, had previously been a _Sky Knight_, there was one excruciating, stomach-turning thing that kept his chilled blood churning: just last night, he had witnessed Spitz and the wench _kissing! _And not just kissing, he reminded himself, but touching each other. Still hurting from the burns and his swollen gums, he had assumed that Ibis had been fully treated for her insignificant wounds and had gone to luxuriate in Repton's old quarters. Perhaps then, he reasoned, he could bully Spitz into creating more burn salve and alleviating Repton's pain. As he had limped to the door, he had heard soft, intimate noises coming from the infirmary. Recognizing the sounds from back when he had first witnessed the beginnings of mating season back on their home terra, his interest sparked and he tiptoed to peek over the threshold of the door. Upon seeing Spitz and the girl wrapped around each other, Repton's scales had nearly dropped off his hide from shock. It wasn't so surprising to know that Ibis had been able to illicit a sensual response from someone, but it was more surprising that it had been _Spitz_ who had fallen to her feminine wiles and taken the first step.

A line of jealousy coursed through Repton, and he stamped it down immediately. Originally he had found Ibis mildly attractive, considering keeping her around until she went into heat, or whatever it was that human females went into for the breeding season, so he could take her properly, just for the rare experience of bedding someone outside his species. But he had not foreseen both the girl becoming his superior _and _one of his own kin getting to her first. He didn't harbor any feelings for the wench, but Repton was still a bit of a child at heart: used to getting whatever he wanted and never having to share what he had.

Wringing his hands roughly and agitating the burns, he resolved then to wait, as planned, but instead of just having her without effort he would raise the challenge of fighting Spitz for her. He smirked, which made the throbbing cut on his cheek sting even more. It would be very easy to overtake his scrawny little brother and claim his prize.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, and my friends own the main character's friends.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Fifteen

Spitz's lungs were burning, crying out for air; likewise, his wiry muscles were straining and aching horribly. The world was narrowed to a pinpoint in his field of vision, and a fuzzy ring buzzed soundlessly along his peripheral sights. The only other sounds he heard were the ragged inhalations and exhalations of his brothers and a fifth of the Rogue Raptor army behind him. Every breath he took felt like razor blades in his throat, but he pushed on. His mind was clear, for he had his eyes locked on the tempting sight of Ibis jogging just in front of them, leading them on.

It had been a little over a week since Ibis had become the commander of the Rogues, and ever since the day after she and Spitz had shared their explosive kisses, she had changed the physical training regimen completely. Or, more accurately, she had _created_ a training regimen, considering the fact that there hadn't been one before. The first day, she had started off by giving a short, friendly speech that ended quickly enough when one of Repton's favorite grunts had loudly objected to her wishes; she had bared her glowing claws and teeth to him and asked him whether he thought he could do a better job than her. _Coward_, Spitz thought as he recalled seeing that same grunt becoming Ibis's first suck-up in less than ten seconds. Truthfully, though, Spitz didn't think that he was any better than the grunt; Ibis's poisonous weapon was truly formidable, and there wasn't one person or creature he could imagine overcoming her at all, least of all himself. But at least he wasn't terrified of her. In fact, he was well aware that he was incredibly attracted to her, and part of that was because her strength and stamina were arousing.

By the second day, she had the cooks in the mess hall serving more nutritious meals, and that night, after she split up the whole army into units for a new schedule, every Raptor was instructed to go to sleep early and get a full eight hours of rest. On the morning of the third day, she welcomed those who had first shift for physical activity to the now required morning stretches. She had them begin with "Level One" stretches; ones that she claimed were the easiest and most comfortable for someone who had never had to do them before. Spitz had been among the first shift, and he had to say that the exercises were very relaxing. His muscles had been warmed up sufficiently, and it had felt good. She rotated the rest of the units all day, giving rest to those she had already worked with, and continued teaching the Level One stretches. By the end of the day, nearly everyone was in an agreeable mood from the combination of fine food, plentiful sleep, and peaceful exercises. Spirits were then higher than they had been for quite a long time.

The next day, Ibis had started adding more to the regimen, like moving to higher levels of stretches after brief visitations back to Level One as warm-ups, and taking short group jogs to improve resistance. She did not discriminate between males and females in the army; everyone was required, by the end of the week, to perform sets of activities that featured strength and left everyone's arms and legs tight and sore. She did, however, take some time with Spitz and his brothers, claiming that they were the ones in need of some serious work. And she hadn't been wrong: one look at them had confirmed that they all needed to either lose a few pounds of fat or put on a few pounds of muscle. In Repton's case, though, she said that it wasn't his body that needed tempering. It was his mind. He was increasingly resistant to Ibis and her schedule under the pretense of trying to regain some semblance of control over his brothers. Hoerk and Leugey were still a bit scared of him, and so juggled both his commands and Ibis's requests, but Spitz held his ground, heartened by Ibis's cool attitude to Repton's outbursts. He also didn't mind the quick, stolen moments when she would catch his eye and wink sweetly with a small smile. This personal freedom that had previously alluded him now felt wonderful, and he had no intention of going back to his old habits of cowering under his eldest brother's glare.

Now here they were, running slowly through the jungles of Bogaton, and Spitz knew he could run for hours if Ibis was leading him (and allowing him a view of her backside at the same time). The urge to pick up speed and capture her in his arms was strong, but he kept himself in check when there were others near them; he would wait until after supper and lure her out into the heat of the tropical evening for some time alone.

Ibis turned and, running backwards, shouted to the unit that they were nearing their goal: every time they went for a jog, they ran straight out from the compound gates and turned left, running along the edge of the terra until they could see the compound gates once again. Before her voice's echoes faded out, the unit's company cheered boisterously and put in the extra effort to go faster, a joyous few even sprinting past Ibis. She watched them go for a second, then laughed wholeheartedly and turned herself around to sprint with them, race them. Spitz felt his own heart swell with happiness, and he forced his tired muscles into catching up with her.

They reached the gates, and as they barreled past them with the other sprinters, they loosened their muscles and tumbled to the dusty ground together, laughing at the hilarity of falling apart. The rest of the company caught up, and multiple soldiers collapsed with exhaustion. Ibis picked herself up and saw to helping them right themselves, panting condolences and encouragement as she went. Spitz propped himself up and watched her lazily. His body tingled and the late afternoon sun felt glorious on his scales. Sighing, he fell back onto the ground and shifted his body comfortably into the warm dirt, then closed his eyes and dozed, knowing Ibis would see to everyone getting inside safely and then come back for him last.

Much later, when the blanket of the sun's warmth left Spitz to the mercy of the cold shadows, he distantly heard Ibis's boots thumping toward him, and he turned his head to the side and cracked an eye open. She smiled and squatted next to him, the sweet, milky scent of her human skin washing over him. "Come on, lazy bones. It's almost suppertime. The chefs have made spicy leaper stew." An edge of excitement crept into her voice at the thought of thick, hot soup in her belly; he knew they thought alike in that matter. After all, it was leaper stew that he had brought to her when she woke in her cage those few weeks ago. Since then, it had been her favorite meal. He never tired of watching her smile and drain her bowl before asking for seconds. He smiled in return and took the proffered hand as he righted himself.

Leading Ibis by the hand through the jungle, Spitz continually congratulated himself mentally at his ingenious idea. His night-vision led them over the usually treacherous, vine-covered forest floor, and even though he offered to carry her after she tripped and scraped her palms on the rough bark of a tree, she muttered something about not wanting to tax his strength. He just chuckled at her and led on.

"Where are we going?" A laugh slipped out of her as she jumped over a fallen log after him. "You haven't told me yet."

"It'th a thurprithe; I'm not telling you." He swung his gaze to her face and he saw her lips purse in playful frustration, but she didn't hold it long before it broke into a smile again. Her eyes glowed strangely in the moonlight-accented shadows, shimmering silvery-green instead of blue. She had explained that she was a little too tired tonight to fire up her cybernetics to lend light, and besides, she had argued, she didn't want some late-night grunt to look out their window and spy her sneaking around with Spitz in the middle of the night.

"Fine, suit yourself. But I'm not going to kiss you again until you tell me." Ibis trudged past him in a show of fake temper, but her act was spoiled by an outcropping tree root, and she stumbled. Spitz snickered and caught up to her, and then wrapped an arm around her waist and threw her over his shoulder. She giggled and lightly smacked his back. He responded in kind by gently tapping her bottom, resisting the impulse to linger there and give her a firm squeeze. She moaned softly, which only made it harder for Spitz to continue along the path without doing something naughty to her.

Ten minutes later, he found what he'd been looking for and set Ibis down, making her face him and not the surprise. "I want you to clothe your eyeth for me, okay? Open them when I thay tho." She did as he bade her, then she whispered breathlessly, "Are you going to kiss me?" Oh, he wanted to, but first she had to see what he'd found for her. Her surprise was nestled among the bushes all around them, not ashamed of itself and bursting with color and light. It was a luminous jungle creeper, a plant whose vines were as delicate as thread and concealing tiny thorns as sharp as needles, and whose little moonlit flowers dotted the vines with splendorous radiance. Spitz had had the idea of showing Ibis these creepers, hoping to show her how much she resembled the plant: deceptively small and harmless and beautiful, but deadly and cunning under the surface. She'd only been here for three weeks, and already he felt he knew so much about her that she didn't know from watching her body language and habits. But unlike the creepers, she had given and been wholly generous from the start rather than leeching resources from the others around her. She supplied them with kindness and humor and, though he'd just begun to realize it himself, rare hope for survival that was desperately needed among their scaly ranks.

"Come on, what's the big surprise?" Ibis jiggled impatiently on her toes in front of him, making him laugh. He turned her gently and led her to the closest creeper.

"You have to gueth what it is firtht." He made her kneel down and reach out her hand. One of her fingers brushed the glowing petals, and she gasped softly at the feel of it. Her fingers quested out again, this time finding the whole bloom and gently caressing it all over to get the feel for its shape.

"Is it a flower?" She reached out her other hand and traced the vines. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Hold on." He had her stand in the middle of the path, right where she would see the most creeper blooms. "Okay, now!" He stood behind her, bracing his nervous, shaking hands on her shoulders. He didn't know if she'd like it or not, but he didn't wait long because Ibis had opened her eyes and was silent, possibly ensnared by the beautiful bioluminescence or possibly disappointed by his strange gift. He knew that it wasn't proper custom, as far as his knowledge went, to present such a weak gift to a female. Raptor males always fought amongst themselves for the right to a female; it was tradition, habit, instinct, and ritual. Making her believe him to be a bleeding heart of a person wasn't how he would have courted her under "normal" circumstances, "normal" being that they were both fully functioning members of a tribe and she was an actual Raptor herself. But the circumstances weren't "normal", and he hadn't heard that human females rejected flowers in any way. Besides, he had rationalized to himself earlier, she was _Ibis._ His experience with humans in general was limited, to say the least, but Spitz could tell that she was different from the rest of her species.

"Well?" He rubbed her shoulders, if only to give himself something to do while he tried not to go insane wondering if he'd offended her. He was equal parts relieved and surprised when she span around and tackled him to the dusty, leaf-littered forest floor with a giggle. Catching both their weight as they hit the ground, Spitz felt immense satisfaction. "Tho it'th okay?"

"They're beautiful. Thank you." She kissed him lightly on the slits of his nose and above his eyes, his longest cranial spike probably tickling her. He rubbed her back with both hands, loving the feel of her warmth pressed right up against his cold body.

"I didn't know if human femaleth liked flowerth. In my culture, it would be an affront to give a female thuch a prethent."

"Well, it's a pretty sweet gesture of affection for humans, especially for the girls. Usually, men give women flowers as an apology if they've done something to make the woman upset, but other than that, flowers are used as a symbol of…" She trailed off, preferring to play with his spike with the tip between her lips. Just that slight close contact made Spitz feel a tingle, a ripple, dribbling through his chest. It was an old feeling, but it was very pleasant.

"A thymbol of what?" He waited patiently for her answer. When she finally did speak, it was softly, like she was telling a secret.

"If I tell you, I'm afraid that you'll run away from me and never look back." She said it with a little laugh, but Spitz could hear the hurt in her voice. She pushed herself off him and paced along in front of the groups of creepers, allowing her fingers to brush the tiny petals and make them dance in the dark of the night. He sighed beneath his breath (_one thtep forward, two thtepth back…_) and gently gathered her in his arms from behind. She hesitated, then leaned back against him. She kept quiet, which left Spitz wondering when she'd finally open up. In the last couple weeks, he'd hoped that when they had had more time together, she would see that he wouldn't balk at whatever horrors she thought she harbored. It was true that he wouldn't find something about her shocking. He was pretty sure that, at this point in time, he'd seen enough of the dark side of life to not be surprised. You learned fast about both the basic and complicated evils when you lived as a member of the Cyclonian Empire. He wished, for what seemed like the hundredth time, that there was something he could say that would convince her of his commitment. Then, as if his silent prayer had been answered, a thought came to mind. He didn't like that he had to resort to spilling his own secrets, but for Ibis…_anything._

"Did I ever tell you why my brotherth and I are rogueth?" he whispered into her fragrant hair. She murmured a negative, still not turning to look at him. She must have had a sense of his unease at telling such a story, though, because she took one of his hands in hers and began tracing soothing lines across his open palm. Drawing courage from her touch, he braced himself and began. "My brotherth and I were born in a hot, tropical jungle thome thixty yearth ago. Repton wath the firtht out of hith shell, then Hoerk, then me, and then Leugey. Repton didn't wathte time making the retht of us hith thubordinateth. He would alwayth make uth go on "adventureth" with him when no one wath watching uth. Our parentth were tho proud that their offthpring were thtrong and thelf-reliant from a young age. That wath conthidered a sure-fire lucky omen then. We began to grow and learn quickly, taking lethonth from the older maleth in matterth contherning combat and mating and thingth like that. Thingth maleth should know. Our father wath among the thothe that taught uth motht of that thtuff." He stopped there, thinking ahead to the point in their past when things took a turn for the worst. Guilt and sadness welled up in his throat like bitter stomach acid.

"Kind of like 'the talk'," Ibis interjected with a hint of humor.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, there's a point in every human's life when they reach puberty, and they have to have their parents tell them the ins and outs of what happens between lovers. Usually, though, 'the talk' is about the rapid, unfamiliar changes the child is going through. Those changes indicate their ascent into adulthood."

"Oh, like when a Raptor male firtht beginth to have the Cravingth and trieth to bed a female when she ith in heat." Ibis considered his connection for a moment before she nodded. He noticed how her body heat ratcheted up a bit at his words. Did the thought of mating arouse her?

"Yes, just like that, I suppose." She let the conversation lull and started rocking side to side in his arms. As they gently swayed together in silence, Spitz was again intensely aware of her, and a question began burning a hole in his tongue. He wondered if it was appropriate for him to ask it, then decided that they had already pushed enough emotional boundaries tonight, so one more thing wouldn't be a big deal.

"Ibith?" She glanced back at him over her shoulder, waiting for him to continue. "Do human femaleth…go into heat?" With that, he could see the faint blush that darkened her cheeks.

"Well," she replied, "not in the sense that you might know. Human women aren't fertile for one season like Raptor women do. There's this thing that usually happens once a moon that gives a human woman the chance to conceive…"

"Onthe a _moon_? Ithn't that a bit much? Godth, no wonder there are tho many of you."

"Yes, well…" She paused, most likely collecting her words. Spitz was glad that they had gotten away from the topic of his past, even if he did start it himself. "Before they begin this moon phase, their hormones elevate and their emotions and impulses are all amplified, including the more carnal ones. Especially the more carnal ones. That makes them more likely to get pregnant because their bodies instinctively seek out a partner to fertilize their wombs."

"What about the thcent?" It was Ibis's turn to look blank. "You know, the hormone trail femaleth leave for maleth to follow."

"Oh, we don't leave it up to the men to find us. We go looking for them ourselves."

"Really?" Spitz became confused. "But if thatth true, then why did you have the thcent about you when we brought you back?"

"No, I was near my moon phase then. It's been over with for a few weeks now." She left him with that to think about. Spitz did the arithmetic in his head. Suddenly, he had a naughty thought.

"How thoon do the carnal impultheth thtart?"

"It differs with every woman, but for me, they start about two weeks before. Why?" In response, Spitz pulled his hands from hers and stroked them down her flat stomach, her hips, over the tops of her thighs, then back up her sides and to her shoulders. The resulting wave of heat and soft whimper were like a signal to continue. He smiled wickedly and nuzzled his way through her hair until he found her human ear. If it had been any other female, he would've speculated on the strange body part, but on her, he figured that it was just like any other body part: merely an instrument for pitching woo. His forked tongue flicked out and rubbed gently across the outer shell of the ear, causing Ibis's frame to shudder against his. He heard her take a few deep breaths, presumably to tamp down her rash wants, but as he lazily drew his hands up her ribcage and felt his fingers brush up against the odd, soft orbs that rested on her chest, he was surprised as she whipped around and meshed her honey-sweet lips with his.

He welcomed her by wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing her body flush against his, letting the groan he'd been holding in rumble out. Her fingernails mercilessly scraped up his scalp and tugged on his spikes. As deep into his actions as he was at this point, Spitz was a little ashamed of the fact that he could already feel his cock emerge from its sheath to reach for Ibis's attention. There was still so much that he wanted to do to her, so much unexplored territory that he wanted to claim for his own, that there was no way he could just whip it out and take her now without making sure she enjoyed every bit of it like he would. Just taking her wouldn't satisfy him; he wanted to fully conquer her, and to do that, he would need her complete trust.

Ignoring his swelling tumescence, he swept his hands down to her backside. He broke off from her mouth to lock gazes with her just as he squeezed possessively. Her eyes flared with lust and a softer, womanly innocence that made Spitz's cold blood begin to roil in his veins. On impulse, he dug his fingers into her pliant flesh and lifted her effortlessly off the ground. Her legs came around and encircled his hips just as their mouths clashed together again and their tongues slid along each other. For a moment, Spitz was only aware of the slight spice of her mouth, left over from the leaper stew, but he soon felt a heat like he had never felt before from Ibis's body. And it was…oh, sweet, benevolent gods, it was the center of her being, hot and beckoning, and it was pressed right against his rod. If her body language wasn't enough of a clue, the scent and moist heat of her arousal was a definite sign that she wanted him, badly. Just the thought that she was answering his wordless call was enough to send him to his knees. As he collapsed and his kneecaps hit the dirt, he held Ibis up with one hand and dug the other one into her hair. Her urgent, little moans in his mouth filled his hearing, and suddenly he felt a surge down below.

With a great effort, he loosened his grip on Ibis and held her body away from his. The cool night air felt surprisingly welcoming against his burning scales as he caught his breath and fought to not spray his seed in his pants. If he had almost come because of the thought of her acceptance, then what would it be like to actually become one with her? Would he be able to last long enough for her to find her own pinnacle? He fervently hoped so as he felt her hand on his cheek. He chanced a look at her and spotted her kiss-swollen lips. He felt himself rise quickly once again and jerked his eyes away.

"Is everything okay?" Her voice was feather-soft with concern. He swallowed roughly, and nodded, panting.

"I'm trying not to…" He swallowed again, finding a bit of saliva this time to sooth his parched throat. "I'm trying not to finish right here."

After a pause, Ibis said, "Try picturing the most unattractive thing you can think of." Was that a hidden laugh in her breathy tone? Pushing that thought aside, he attempted to picture his brother Leugey naked and, lo and behold, a shudder of slight disgust wound its way down his spine. He continued that thought until he felt his cock slide effortlessly back into its sheath. Once that happened, he leaned his head on Ibis's forehead, breathing in that same milky human scent that was such an odd comfort. He made a mental note to ask her about that later. She gently stroked the back of his neck. "So I suppose this means that we should go back inside and go to sleep?"

Spitz was about to say that he didn't want to do that, but then he remembered that they _did _have to wake up early enough in the morning for them to continue their training. He nodded, then gave her a simple, but lingering, kiss on the lips. She returned it and when they parted, he saw a beautiful, radiant smile on her face.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Sixteen

Ibis leaned down with her hands on her knees and panted softly. Ah, the sweet pull of warmed-up muscles first thing in the morning. She had just finished her first set of stretches with the first fifth of the army, and it felt almost perfect. In the last few days, she had taught them the more difficult maneuvers of the stretches, the ones that she used to do every morning by herself to ensure that, if needed, she would be able to move any which way to better utilize every aspect of her cybernetics. In theory, the Raptor Rogues didn't really need these stretches, but they had no problems performing them and any stretch before their daily exercise was better than nothing. Ibis felt a little silly teaching them the most arduous stretch this morning, one that twisted the body into a near-impossible pretzel and demanded that the person be able to still move quickly in that state. She had felt just as uncomfortable helping them manually move their limbs as she was demonstrating the contortion in front of their scrutinizing eyes. But, she mused as she looked around at the perfectly fit company of grunts and lieutenants, they were catching on like it was second nature. The general mood had leveled out, and nearly every Raptor was in constant good spirits.

The only exception to the rule, however, seemed determined to stay that way. Ibis rubbed a hand across her face in consternation. What would it take to make Repton cooperate for once? Just once, and maybe he'd see that he didn't have to be a royal pain in the ass. Hell, maybe he'd even like being an equal to his former troops. His brothers were making great leaps and strides with their own training; Hoerk's never-ending frown faded away under Ibis's gentle tutelage, Leugey's baby fat had almost completely melted away after the first week (but he still had the mind of a child, bless him), and Spitz was gaining quite the confidence lately, along with some seriously attractive muscles. He was no longer the stringy Raptor she'd met; now, with proper nutrition and regular workouts, he'd gotten a bit thicker around his biceps, chest, and thighs. He was beginning to resemble a smaller, skinner version of Repton. _Not that I would ever want him to look exactly like Repton, _Ibis thought, _but it was a pleasant surprise when he'd lifted me so effortlessly that one night…_ She shook her head when she began to drift off and remember their heated moment in the jungle. It hadn't lasted long, but it had been just enough to plant a seed of wonder in her mind: What would it feel like to do something so intimate with Spitz? Her body had throbbed with need for him and his gentle, patient touch, something that it had never done for even Ibis. And when she had felt…_that_…pressed against her most private of areas, she'd felt certain that if he had tugged off her suit and laid her down on the dusty jungle floor to finish what they had started, she wouldn't have protested one bit. Her heart pounded tenderly at the mere mention…

"Ma'am?" The voice of a grunt snapped her out of her steamy thoughts.

"Y-yes." She smoothed her pink hair out of her eyes and adopted a slightly more commanding expression, one that didn't betray her naughty mental interlude.

"A Cyclonian messenger arrived just moments ago with this for you, from Master Cyclonis herself." The grunt, whose name she remembered as Say'kar, handed her a rolled-up scroll that was tied with a dark violet ribbon. It looked thick. "The messenger has orders to receive the papers back from you once you have read over them and signed them. He would take them back to Master Cyclonis, he says." The tiny scar underneath Say'kar's left eye crinkled as he smiled at Ibis. She smiled back, always grateful for Say'kar's sweet, random smiles. She had a sneaking suspicion that he harbored a little crush on her; he would be considered to be in his mid-teen years if he were human. Instead, he was on the cusp of adulthood as a Raptor, meaning his hormones would begin their ritual surge. She reminded herself to keep their relationship strictly on a comfortable but professional level when that happened. No getting too friendly, as she was always apt to do unconsciously. Hopefully, he would be discouraged from attempting to court her. She admired the young guy for his pluck, but he was no Spitz.

"Thank you, Say'kar. You may return to your previous duties." With that dismissal, Say'kar gave her a small bow and hurried away. She shook her head with another smile, then unrolled the missive and began scanning the document. Cyclonis had promised that her formal agreement for entering the Cyclonian army and commanding a full section of it would arrive soon, and here it was. A simple contract, nothing too wordy or complex, but still providing a tight-enough grip on Ibis should she begin to feel a bit Sky Knight-y again. She giggled to herself, thinking about her old life, the one where she'd been constantly haunted by her mother's death and her terrible secret, the one that, as a Sky Knight, she would have been sentenced to a death of her own, but as Cyclonis's soldier, she would no doubt be rewarded for it, probably thought of as a natural-born killer, too. She had almost everything she could've asked for here, though. She didn't need anyone higher up knowing what she did and congratulating her for it. She was perfectly content here. Her old life seemed like it had belonged to someone else. She would admit that maybe she didn't feel like _this_ was where she really belonged, but until she found that happy place (and she was determined to find it), _here_ was good for now. Rolling the contract back up and dismissing her company for a moment, she dashed to the nearest office and read through the contract carefully this time. It didn't take long; she was impatient to get to the next company and start them on the new stretch. Not finding too much of a restriction on her person legally, she signed the paper with a flourish that probably wasn't necessary and headed back out. Say'kar, spotting her emerging back into the training area, tripped to her side and took the re-tied scroll away. With that, Ibis leaned her head out of the entrance to the training room and called in the next company.

As the unit filed in, she felt a rush of excitement as she saw that Spitz was among them. Unfortunately, so was Repton, but he was far enough away from his younger brother that he wouldn't be a distraction. Or a menace. Whichever came first. Ordering the grunts into position, she clapped her hands and began to teach, eager to get to the part where she would have to come around and adjust everyone's pose. Spitz would be among those that she would touch. Her heart began its trembling tempo again at the thought.

Junko tightened his grip on the handles of his cycle, trying to control his nervous excitement. They were close enough to Bogaton's perimeters that they could ride in undetected and find Ibis. A thought slipped unbidden in his mind. The Raptors weren't the same Raptors they had contended with a few years ago. They had grown in rank size, and they had learned a few new tricks as well. Maybe they had finally gotten so good that even Ibis couldn't break away from their scaly grip. Maybe there was still hope that, with the Storm Hawks' help, Ibis could escape and come back home with them. Keeping his head down, he flew in closer to the jungle terra.

Once the last stretching phase was over, Ibis called out to the units that had finished that today was a free day. The resulting cheer and scramble to get away to their favorite leisurely activity made Ibis smile and laugh. She watched them all go with a slightly motherly feeling. It was like they were all children right after they'd been promised a field day from school, with ice cream. She kept her eyes on the stragglers for a moment before someone's arms cinched around her waist. She glanced down and recognized Spitz's lean forearms. His lisping whisper tickled her ear. "It'th okay; there'th no one here to thee uth." A quick look around the training area confirmed that, so she span around and gave him a soft kiss.

"There's something I want to give you. Will you come with me?" His eyes darkened as he smiled and nodded. Did he think they were going to do something dirty? She led the way up through the levels of the base, all the way up to Repton's old room, which was now Ibis's room. She pushed open the door and made Spitz sit on the bed while she rummaged through the small bag that she'd had Say'kar procure for her from the storage rooms. It was a special request of hers, and he'd been happy to comply, glad to have something to do for Ibis that he could tell no one about. She produced two hand-sized distance radios and handed one to Spitz, who looked a tiny bit disappointed. "I'm sorry you were expecting something more entertaining, but I figured today would give me a good opportunity to give this to you. I'm planning on making things a little more difficult each day for the troops, so that means I probably won't have as much time to spend with you as I want to. I'm also planning to get a few of them started on guard duty. I want to make them successful, you know?" Spitz nodded. "I'm not trying to push you away, so don't think you can make me feel guilty. There will be more free days like this one, once every week. We'll be able to spend the day together then, if you like." She sat on his lap and kissed his forehead. He put the radio in an inner pocket of his leather vest while Ibis put hers in between her breasts for safekeeping. It was the only place on her body, in her suit, where it would be both hidden and easily accessible.

"There's another reason why I'm giving this to you. I have a feeling that the Storm Hawks will be looking for me. It has been a while, but I'm not going to put it past my friend Xandra to just let me go." Spitz closed his arms around her waist again and hugged her tight. She returned the hug.

"I don't want you to go."

"I don't plan to leave voluntarily. I'm going to fight tooth and nail if they try to take me. I like it here. I _love_ it here, with you." Her voice got softer and she leaned her head on his, looking him in the eye. He looked so sad and hopeful. "Be happy; I just wanted to give this to you in case they came and took me back. To be honest, I wouldn't mind being back there for a day or two to get my belongings together and telling them that I'm not staying. I'll need a ride back here." She said the last sentence in a sing-song voice. "You don't even have to have anyone accompany you to come get me." He smiled wide at that.

"Tho we could be alone for a while?"

"Of course. I don't know about you, but some time alone, away from your brothers and the troops, would be pretty nice." She kissed him and combed her fingers through his spikes. He leaned his head on her chest, right above her heart, and let his inner eyelids slowly slide over his eyes. He looked so comfortable with his sleepy expression and soft smile. She wished that she could stay like this for a long time, just holding him close and making him happy. It made her chest swell with her own happiness…._so am I in love with him?_ She wondered for a moment, but her thoughts, and their time together, was abruptly interrupted by a sharp knock on her door. Before she and Spitz could move, the door slammed open and Say'kar stumbled in.

He looked over their entwined bodies. Ibis took on a gentle but commanding tone. "You tell no one what you see, Say'kar." She could see no hurt anywhere in his eyes, not even any surprise. Had he known already? He nodded in assent, then bowed quickly.

"My lady, there's been an attack." Ibis's brows furrowed as she thought about his report.

"The Storm Hawks, I assume?"

Say'kar bobbed his head in affirmation. "Yes, my lady. There are only five on hoverbikes, but we believe that there is at least one piloting their pontoon ship."

"Thank you for informing me. Find Repton and his brothers; tell them that they command the units if anything happens to me, temporary or not." Say'kar looked scared at that thought, but he dashed away in a flash. Ibis turned to Spitz and hugged him tight. "I was right, then. I didn't think they would come so quickly."

"We'll thtill be together, won't we?" Spitz hooked a finger underneath her chin and looked into her eyes.

"I'm not going to let the Storm Hawks get between us. As much as I love my friend, I…" She lowered her eyes, letting the silence finish the sentence for her. Time was running out; she had to get outside and start creating a diversion so that no lives were lost. She looked at Spitz again, and noticed that he had a warm, loving smile on his face. He leaned down and kissed her slowly, softly. She returned his kisses for a few moments more before an explosion shook the base. A curse flew from Ibis's lips, and she went to the door. "Keep that radio a secret from everyone. I want to talk to you, and only you. You will hear from me again soon; I promise." And with that, she disappeared from the doorway and sped down the halls to the compound gates, panting and cursing when she accidentally twisted her ankle on her way down a flight of stairs.

Once outside, she saw that it wasn't quite as chaotic as she thought it would've been. Hoerk was leading a unit on their bikes to try and take out the Condor; Repton was bellowing for order as the Storm Hawks' vehicles buzzed around overhead. A snarl from above made Ibis jerk her head up as she weaved between the crouching soldiers with weapons firing into the air. There was Spitz, wearing his spiked battle armor and riding on his own Bonewing hoverbike, brandishing a double-bladed sword at Finn, who performed a hasty barrel roll to avoid the threat. Ibis's heart thumped heavily when she realized that Spitz was taking out his irritation on the intruders, letting them know that he was extremely unhappy with them for daring to take her away from him. She watched as the two waged a small battle, Finn with his crystal-tipped arrows, Spitz with his menacing blade. Spitz's reflexes had greatly improved, Ibis could see, because an arrow was shot dead at his face and he deflected it without flinching. The bikes twisted through the air, constantly avoiding other vehicles. Ibis had to run along the ground to make sure that Spitz wouldn't be hurt. Every so often, she'd lean down and correct a grunt's aim, or make them relax their shoulders, but the majority of her focus was on Spitz's bike.

Her heart gave a great lurch as she narrowly avoided having her head lobbed off like a daisy bloom when someone's hoverbike swept dangerously low. She only had her gaze down for a second, but she'd already lost sight of Spitz. She cursed loudly and span around, whipping out her glowing claws and shooting forward into the jungle, slicing off branches or fronds that got in her way. She kept her senses clear for any sound that might indicate his position, but she could hear nothing above the slicing noises that came from all around. She decided to climb a tree for a better view, and once she got up there, she spotted Spitz and Finn ducking and weaving through the air not forty feet to her left. Spitz looked like he was losing the battle, but she could still see the outline of the undamaged radio close to his armored chest. He could hold his own in a fight, and he would retreat before he became too badly injured, she assessed, so she didn't have to worry too—

Her thoughts were cut off as a thick arm wrapped around her waist and dragged her up into the air with the smell of crystal energy burning hot on the wind. Her stomach stayed on the ground as her body rose higher, and she let out a terrified shriek; no matter what position she had, or how many fearsome sights and battles she'd seen, she still couldn't handle flying. She tried to twist around to fight them off, but the person made a sharp turn, leveled off, and set the bike on autopilot high above the other battles. Her captor pulled her up carefully and set her in their lap before they crushed her with a hug. Her eyes almost popping out of her head from the force of the hug, she recognized the person as Junko. He leaned back with a relieved look on his face and began to say something, but he was interrupted as Aerrow rode past, got an eyeful of Ibis on his lap, and then let out a piercing whistle that echoed across the valley.

Just as the Condor pulled around and swallowed the Storm Hawks' hoverbikes, Ibis tried to look for Spitz, but didn't see him. A ball of worry like a fruit pit settled in her stomach, but she subtly reached in her suit and whispered into it, not caring how weird she looked. She was glad for the rushing wind past her ears; no one, not even Junko sitting behind her, would hear. "Are you okay? Over."

For a moment all she heard was static, then, "Yeth. You? Over."

"I'm fine. I'll talk to you later tonight, okay?" She paused. "Be safe, and don't worry about me. We'll be together again soon. Over and out." She couldn't believe that, just twenty minutes ago, she'd been sitting on her new bed on Spitz's lap, stroking his spikes and feeling like she could sit there forever. Suddenly she was part of the Hawks' again, at least in the other crew members' minds. How long would she have to play along until she could get away and back to Spitz?

Once they had the bikes securely locked in the hanger bay, Xandra had rushed over and given Ibis a huge hug, tears streaming down her cheeks and nose. Ibis had held Xandra for a long time before her friend's sobs had quieted down. Finn had appeared at Xandra's side and rubbed her back soothingly, with a shrug and a tired smile directed at Ibis. She felt a bit sad that she had worried her friend so much, and that she had allowed herself to be captured, but she knew that she would make it all up soon. Just a day or two to gather her things and have Spitz ride out, then she'd be gone and back to her duties on Bogaton.

The rest of the crew said their hellos and expressed their relief at her wellbeing, but ultimately left her alone with Junko, who had held back while the others had a chance to greet her. Now he came forward and pressed her gently against his broad chest. Dread filled Ibis's own chest at the thought of disappointing poor Junko again, along with a lingering sleepiness. She hadn't realized that her worrying had drained her, but she thanked the gods that they had given her a ticket out of this situation.

"I missed you," Junko whispered against her hair. "I thought you had gotten killed." Tears edged into his voice, but Ibis noticed that none fell.

"I'm alive and kicking. I'm just fine." She leaned on his chest and closed her eyes, thankful for the support. They stayed like that for a while before Ibis pushed gently away and said, "I'm a little drained from all that excitement. Maybe I should go to sleep." She had never been a good actor, but now seemed to be an exception, because her words were a little slurred by exhaustion. She felt Junko chuckle, then he lifted her up bridal-style in his arms and carry her through the Condor to her old room. She glanced around and saw that her things hadn't been touched. Good, she thought. That would make it easier to pack. He helped her remove her boots, then tucked her under the covers like she was a child. He kissed her forehead, lingering close for a moment, and then silently left with a grin on his face.

_Poor, poor Junko._


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character.

Part One: Mammalia

Chapter Seventeen

When Ibis woke up, she laid back and breathed in the nearly-forgotten scent of the Condor. It was just barely light outside, probably around seven in the morning. She had dozed for a little while before she had radioed Spitz. He was relieved that she had called. He told her that he missed her already, and that he couldn't wait until she asked him to come take her back. The feelings were mutual. Before she had met Spitz, she had ignored the ever-present, niggling doubt in the back of her mind, the one that told her she didn't quite fit in with the Storm Hawks. Now, after spending time with the Raptors, and with Spitz, being back on the Condor only made her feel more alien than she had ever felt before. She felt like she had when her first boyfriend had dumped her: uncomfortable in her own skin. It was a bit of an itchy feeling, but she knew the remedy. It was to be with Spitz again. No one in the world had ever made her feel more at ease than him. She had signed out after they had listened to the static from the other person's line, taking comfort in the fact that, at least in this way, they weren't completely without the other.

Now Ibis stretched a little to relieve the knotted muscle in her neck, the one that had plagued her for years, and swung her legs out of bed. Pulling her Ex-Mag boots on, she wondered if the troops would continue their exercises in her absence. Spitz had reassured her that he and his brothers would go about making sure they did, and they had told everyone that Ibis would be back. There had been a little bit of muttering in the ranks, but everyone seemed to have accepted the message. Reminding herself that she was still part of their leg of the Cyclonian army, she stood and began the slow push and pull of the morning stretches. The familiarity of the forms drowned out all the other distractions, though she missed directing the troops through the steps. Once she finished, she combed her fingers through her hair and assumed an expression that resembled feeling lost. It was not hard to fabricate; she truly did feel out of place here, now. The sooner she packed up and left, she figured the better. Besides, the Storm Hawks were used to not having her around. Her absence wouldn't be anything earth-shattering.

A thought came to mind: maybe she should've just found Aerrow during the battle and told him that she was willingly under contract with Cyclonis…would that have made things easier? Instead of tricking her friends? Her mind a whirl of indecision, she started out the door to her room and almost walked right into Stork. The merb let out a startled cry, and Ibis stared at him. "What do you need, Stork?" He peered at her from under his greased, black hair, his yellow eyes glittering with unease. She gave him a weary cock-eyed look before side-stepping around him and finding her way to the galley. She would be able to think more clearly with food in her stomach. Stork watched her go with a strange, familiar feeling in his chest: the recognition of the sight of something he himself had once gone through a long time ago.

Ibis was not the only person in the kitchen; Finn was there, warming some water for coffee. He was shirtless, allowing Ibis to see his skinny, pale back. If she hadn't gone to Bogaton and seen the nicely sculpted Raptor males (definitely including Spitz), she would've been impressed with Finn's lean muscles. Not now, though. It made her wonder what was wrong with people; why couldn't they go out and get some sun? She shrugged, though, and continued about her own business. Once she had a decent breakfast on her plate and began to eat at the island, Finn finally turned and started talking to her. It was a flood of words. He told her that he and Xandra had become quite the item, that nearly everyone had missed Ibis, what had happened when she was on Bogaton (presumably as a full-time prisoner)? He confessed that he and Aerrow had nearly gotten in a fight because Aerrow had been a dick and admitted out loud to his crew that he believed Ibis to be cold and dead. No wonder Aerrow hadn't been all over the welcome wagon last night.

He got quiet for a moment. His fingers distractedly tapped his coffee cup while he collected his thoughts. Ibis let him as she spooned more oatmeal into her mouth. The oatmeal was tasteless and too sweet. Since when had she stopped liking the taste of brown sugar? Come to think of it, she hadn't been craving sweet foods for a long time, probably since before she and Xandra had met the Storm Hawks. Finn came back to life and said something she didn't expect.

"Junko's really glad that you're back. You know that, right?" His wide blue eyes searched her own, as if he suspected something.

"I'm…glad to be back." She stared into her half-empty bowl.

"But you know that he really likes you. I mean, like Xandra and I might like each other."

If there was anyone to tell this to, it would be Finn. "I thought I liked him that way, too. But…I don't know. He's more like a big brother now. It was like that before I…got captured." She held her head down in what she assumed to be shame. "He's such a sweet guy; I don't want him to be hurt by my lack of feelings. He's an awesome friend. That much I know. I don't want to lose that, or ruin it, either." She paused, this time because what she said was all true. "You're his best friend. How can I make this work? And please," she interjected when Finn opened his mouth, "please don't tell me I can fake it and see if I can grow some feelings for him, because it just won't work."

"That wasn't what I was going to say. I was going to say you should just tell him everything you told me. He may like you more than you want him to, but like you said, he's a good guy. He'll understand."

"That's just the thing: what if he _doesn't_ understand? I feel like I led him on and now I have nothing to back up my actions." Finn, the same guy who had lightly insulted her upon meeting her like it wasn't anything new for him, put a hand on hers and made her look up at him.

"Junko's been mistaken for a lot of things in his life. A wimp, a bully, an idiot, a monster…and all of those things have turned out to be wrong. But he _is _a friend, and a damn good one. He's been in places and situations where _he's_ been the one stuck in a corner, but he always found a way out. If there's anyone you can trust to know what you're going through, it's him. Go talk to him, tell him the things you told me, and we'll see how it goes." He stopped there, letting Ibis drink in his advice. She nodded, hoping Finn was right, and took her now empty bowl to the sink to rinse it out. As she went to the galley door, Finn called her back one more time. "And if it makes you feel any better, Junko's never the kind of person to hold a grudge."

Ibis found Junko in the hanger bay, buffing some scratches out of Piper's heli-scooter. It didn't look that bad, but then again, Ibis was sure that it might've looked worse right after the battle. Junko was good with his hands like that. She stood behind him, waiting for him to either finish or notice her there, neither of which happened. When she cleared her throat, he started, then smiled and turned to give her a greasy, mechanic's hug. He smelled like motor oil and metal. When he went to kiss her, however, she turned her head to the side at the last second and felt him lips touch her cheek. His expression was confused, but a tired defeat lay behind his eyes, as if he already knew what she was going to say.

"Junko, I'm so sorry…" She kept her head down, hoping that he would see what she didn't want to tell him already written on her face. She didn't want to have to tell him that he wasn't the one she loved, despite all he'd done for her. "I can't keep leading you on. I…I just don't like you the way you want me to." The words came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them, and before she knew it, she was brushing away real tears. "I think you're a great person, and an even greater friend, but that's exactly why I don't think you'd want me to be with you. Because I'm none of those things. I'm not like you, and you deserve better than what I can give you." She stopped to wipe away more cold tears. "I thought I liked you as more than just a friend, but along the way, it stopped feeling right. I wanted to tell you, but you seemed so happy. I didn't want to ruin that for you. I should've just told you from the first time I felt like that." She chanced a look at his face, and her heart squeezed in sympathy. "I told Finn just this morning that I…I didn't want to lose you as a friend. I know that you're a one-of-a-kind friend, and maybe I'm just being selfish, but I don't want to lose the chance to have you like that." She stepped closer to him and held one of his massive hands in both of hers, wanting more than anything to show him that she was sorry.

He was quiet for the longest time. He didn't take him hand away, just rubbed his thumb across her cheek to get rid of the tears that wouldn't go away. She was sure that he left a streak of dirt, but she didn't care. What was one washable scar of dirt on her face compared to the inerasable scar of guilt on her soul if he didn't accept her apology?

"I'm kinda glad you told me that." Wait, what? She looked him squarely in the face. He still looked hurt, but now there was a bit of relief swimming in his eyes. What was he playing at? "I mean, I thought you were pretty cute when I met you, and you were so hot in those panties and heels, and I liked the fact that you could be shy and innocent one minute, and coy the next. That made me stay up more than one night with you on my mind." He blushed darkly, and Ibis was sure that she was blushing just as hard. "But I got freaked out when you and Xandra fought that first day. I was ready to…well, shit myself. I didn't know anyone could be _that_ scary. You can call me a baby or wuss or whatever, but I was worried that if I made you even the slightest bit mad, you'd turn around and cut me in half. I mean, I saw how uncomfortable Stork was around you that one week. He kind of deserved it, though, 'cause he kept following you around…" He stopped and thought for a moment. "Why _was_ he doing that, anyway?"

"I have no idea, but this morning he was outside my bedroom door." Ibis was glad for Junko's sturdy hand still holding hers. "Well, I know what you meant about my being scary. I always frighten people away with that." She added a smile, and he smiled back. No bad blood between them, Junko swung an arm over her shoulders and hugged her hard. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He laughed and went back to buffing out the scratches. Ibis, on the other hand, went back up to her room, where she flopped on the bed and let out the rest of her tears. She wondered why she was crying, but she was pretty sure that the part of her that had really loved Junko was crying for the loss of him. But the part (the BIG part) that loved Spitz quickly brought her out of her pity party. Her tears gone now, she reached into her duffel bag and brought out one of her biggest sources of comfort when reality was just too taxing: a book. This book, though, was one of the only ones she had bothered to bring with her. It had originally been from the Sky Knight Academy's library, but it had been ignored for so long by everyone that the librarian had allowed the only person who actually took an interest in it, to take it home and keep it. Ibis opened the cover and turned the introductory pages one by one, liking the smell of the old vellum. It smelled like dust and ink. She turned to the table of contents and read through the familiar list.

_Introduction…..page 5_

_Chapter One: The Beginning of Atmos…..page 10_

_Chapter Two: The Rise of the Tribes…..page 14_

_Chapter Three: General Knowledge…..page 19_

_Chapter Four: Anatomy and Behavior…..page 23_

_Chapter Five: Culture and Religion…..page 30_

_Chapter Six: Traditional Rites and Rituals…..page 36_

_Chapter Seven: Battle Style…..page 47_

_Glossary…..page 56_

_Index…..page 58_

She knew all her favorite parts and all the pages they were on, though, as a true book lover, she never dog-eared any of the pages she wished to revisit. She flipped gently past the first chapter (a tale she and thousands of others knew by heart), past the second chapter (a tale she, and only she, knew by heart), ignoring chapter three (since it was filled with a human Sky Knight's outdated observations and opinions), and settled back on her bed to read the fourth chapter, which, beyond the behavioral aspect of it, had never really caught her interest. Until now.

She read from the beginning of the chapter all the way to the part where it began to divulge psychological secrets about the wanderings of the subjects' minds. She kept her eyes on the large, carefully detailed drawings of both the male and female of the species, blushing when the male in the drawing resembled one person in particular. The book described, in dry, academic vocabulary, the basic processes of the organ functions, the science of their locomotion, and the theory of their evolution to a humanoid species. The most interesting part, however, was the reproductive section. It was way too close to pornography for Ibis's liking, but if she was planning on having any kind of physical relationship with Spitz, it wouldn't hurt to at least know a little about what she was up against. The author must have enjoyed writing this part because he had filled two whole pages with his tiny script on the most minute details about first the male Raptor's…um, bits, and then moved on to the females. The pictures were a little embarrassing, but a full-body sketch of a female Raptor caught her eye.

The body was built so much like a human female's that it was almost like looking at a drawing of her own body. The head was delicate and sharply angled, the neck proud and straight, and the limbs long and muscular. Ibis noticed that, obviously, the female Raptors didn't have breasts, but instead just smaller versions of the males' broad chests. She tried to imagine what life would be like without hers. They wouldn't get sore once a moon from her moon phase; they wouldn't get in the way with her training; and not having them would mean that was one less feature she would have to dress up to make it pleasing to the opposite sex. She concluded that female Raptors had it made when it came to their lack of mammary glands.

The fingers and toes were, of course, limited to three phalanges per limb. Compared to the male Raptors, though, they were smaller and thinner. Their cranial spikes, at a certain point in their lives, could grow to be about a foot long, and very thick, which made them seem like they had hair. Unlike hair, however, the cranial spikes of both genders could be manipulated to flatten against the skull or flare up in conjunction to the emotions of the Raptors. It was their version of eyebrows, Ibis figured. The females' waists were thin and flat, and then the waists would round out into full hips that could easily pass eggs. The genitalia were actually strikingly similar to humans'. Everything a human female had was there on the page. The tails were long, thin, and powerful. They probably cracked like whips when snapped against an opponent's vulnerable skin. She dove into her imagination again and wondered what it would be like to have a tail like that. She turned on her side and felt her stubby sacrum. She sighed and let her mind wander. If only she could have been born a Raptor, she wouldn't feel so out of place. Her human skin and human appendages and human everything wouldn't be there. Her beliefs would be shared by nearly everyone around her, and she would be accepted and thought of as a beautiful warrior, not a scary girl with weird cybernetic implants and sociopathic behaviors. Her murder of the bartender all those years ago wouldn't have been thought of as a murder, but as revenge for her family's sake, and therefore perfectly acceptable. She wished that she could be a Raptor; then maybe she might feel like she was finally-

A tingling erupted down Ibis's spine and dripped down to her tailbone. Her eyes snapped open and she twisted to look at her bottom. Her jaw dropped as she saw a bright pink, semi-translucent tail emerging from her suit. Catapulting herself off her bed and feeling the oddly comfortable new addition to her person, she wondered how in the world she could've done that. She noticed with surprise that she could move the tail on her own, without using her arms or fingers. It was as simple as blinking; she knew how to do it and did it unconsciously. The tail curled under her fingertips. Then she knew how she had conjured it. Two of her fingers on each hand and three of her toes on each foot, along with the muscles that moved those parts individually, had all gone numb, like they didn't exist. All the nerves had somehow rerouted themselves to become a tail that could move and feel like it was a limb she'd had all her life. A flash of half-hidden memory made her remember her fight with Repton. He had hit her, but some deep-rooted instinct had told her to twist around and give him a good lashing with her tail. She'd had a tail during the fight? She must have, because she now knew where that thin scar of his had come from. She knew that when she was fighting as the Beast, her human memory was dimmed. So what memory burned brightly inside her mind when she wasn't "human"?

On an impulse, she kept the tail and walked easily to the full-length mirror beside Xandra's old bed. She summoned her wish one more time, not really consciously thinking about the processes that allowed her to grow and lengthen and change, but just let that strange itchy feeling of her human skin flatten out and reveal the true Ibis, the one she wanted so badly…she had to know: was it possible?

All of a sudden, with a hissing fizz and the smell of hot crystal energy, Ibis opened her now slit-pupil, fuchsia eyes and stared into the mirror at her new self. And she gasped. Her hair was pale beneath the row of thick, fluorescent cranial spikes. Her skin was paneled with tiny, pink diamond-shaped scales. The cybernetic scales were positioned and lit in such a way that it looked like her facial structure now matched a female Raptor's. She examined her hands and bare feet: three fingers, two of them fused by a line of energy; three toes, the same as the fingers. She smiled in triumph at her lizard-y reflection and saw that her white teeth had been replaced by her usual fangs. _This is amazing…_

The door to her room slid shut abruptly, and with a start, Ibis called off her 'netics and eyed the door. Had it really been open? Who had seen her? She put her boots on again and quickly looked out into the hall. There was no one there. No noise betrayed who it might have been. Ibis closed the door again, having a sneaking suspicion about who it had been.

Later that night, she had excused herself from the bridge, where the 'Hawks had been eating dinner, and radioed Spitz in. He was happy to hear from her, just like she was happy to hear his voice. He said that he had ignored her orders to stay behind on Bogaton until she asked him to leave (oops, bad Spitzy), and gone on to follow the Condor from behind. He said he was alright, and he was pretty sure that no one had spotted him. He was about a few hours behind them. Ibis couldn't believe this was working so well. By the time he got here to pick her up, it would be midnight, and everyone would be in bed, if not asleep. She told him to keep coming and use stealth when needed, and that she would radio him and open the hatch of the hanger so he could come get her. They would have to do that quickly, though, because the hatch was very loud and would likely bring all the Storm Hawks running. She signed out and went back to her room, where she began composing a few letters. One was for Junko, saying that she would miss him and his crushing hugs; one was for Finn, thanking him and telling him to treat Xandra well or she'd come back and kick his scrawny ass; one for Piper and Aerrow both, asking them to please quit dancing around and just go out already; and one for Xandra, asking her to please understand that she didn't belong here. Ibis didn't get too specific; she would rather have Xandra believe that she was going to live a normal life as an Academy instructor back on Terra Atmosia because being a Sky Knight didn't agree with her. It was true that she was an instructor and being a Knight didn't interest her. But Xandra wouldn't be happy to hear that Ibis was under Cyclonis's orders now. She didn't write one for Stork. What would she say? "Stop staring at me"? She and Stork hadn't really connected in friendly conversation since the first day. She decided it best to just leave it as it was.

She slipped all the notes hastily under people's pillows and retreated to her room to gather her belongings and thoughts. Soon she would be back with Spitz, and the thought of his smile and his arms around her made her heart flutter sweetly in her ribcage. She lay down on her bed and pretended to sleep when people tried to talk to her in her room. She "woke up" for Xandra, though, and chatted with her a while, glad to have her friend back, if only for a few hours. Once Xandra started nodding off in the middle of their conversation, Ibis gave her friend a hug and told her to go to bed. For an extra comfort, she gave Xandra a quick peck on the cheek, making her smile. Ibis lay back down and sighed. Goodbyes were hard, especially when the person you were saying goodbye to didn't know you were leaving.

Once she was sure that everyone was stowed in their bedrooms for the night, Ibis crept out of her own bedroom bootless and tiptoed down to the hanger with her duffel bag secured tightly against her back. She had already let Spitz know to come. She pressed the button for the hanger door, and it slowly creaked open. The hanger was dark and spooky, so Ibis flicked on the red emergency lights. They were dim, but it was good enough to keep shivers from running down her spine every few seconds. Now she wouldn't be scared that something would jump from the shadows and grab her. _I'm such a chicken_—

A hand clapped on her shoulder, and she fought not to scream. She whirled and saw Stork's beady eyes pinning her down. "And just where do you think _you're _going?" He sounded like a parent. Her heart slowed down to a gallop as she thought of an answer that would pacify him.

"I don't belong here, Stork. Please, just go to bed and let me go home." Her tone was soft and beseeching. Stork's eyes softened with her words and he stayed silent for a long time, holding his hand against his chest like he always had. _Like a wounded animal_, Ibis remembered thinking that first day. Stork sighed and drew himself up a little bit.

"I understand. You can go." He started to turn, but Ibis caught his shoulder and made him stay.

"Wait, you're just going to let me go? You're not going to try to convince me that I shouldn't leave?" Stork shook his head slowly. "Why?"

"Because you remind me of myself. Actually, you remind me of everyone here on this ship." When Ibis didn't respond, he continued. "We all have something about us here on the Condor. Aerrow is the only descendent of the original Storm Hawks and he has a rare sense of morality that most people nowadays think is weird. Piper is a know-it-all that people can't usually stomach for more than one word. Finn is obnoxious and has a huge ego. Junko was picked on as a child for not wanting to be rough and tough like the other Wallop children. I was socially ostracized on my home terra because of my incurable paranoia and my odd obsession with mechanics. I'm sure Xandra has been shunned from more than one circle because of her sexual orientation. We're all brought together because we are the outcasts. Birds of a feather, and all that." Ibis let go of his shoulder and nodded. "So whatever you feel, you know that you aren't comfortable as a Sky Knight, right?" Another nod. "That's what makes you different. If you're sure that you belong somewhere else…?"

Ibis nodded one more time. "My fellow humans have thought me funny because I believe in a strange religion. I could also feel out of place because I don't feel right being a human."

"That could have something to do with it." Stork smirked. "Well, if you want to go because you're not happy here, we'll understand. We know what it's like, to some degree." He held out his hand, the one he favored, and Ibis shook it, then thought better of it halfway through and pulled the skinny merb into a hug. He returned it after a moment of surprise, then pushed her back and waved goodbye as he went back upstairs just as a hoverbike roared into the hanger.

Ibis ran to the driver of the bike and held him just as tightly as he held her.

Once they landed on a small, deserted terra sometime near dawn, Spitz led Ibis to a shelter that he'd made himself earlier in the night while waiting for Ibis's radio call. It was well-hidden, as was the bike, so they crawled into the leafy hut and prepared for sleep. Ibis cuddled up against Spitz's side and gave him a long goodnight kiss.

Her heart pounding despite her weariness, she whispered, "I love you, Spitz."

His answer was instantaneous, and his voice was soft and filled with happiness. "I love you too, Ibith."

END OF PART ONE: MAMMALIA


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: This is my first Storm Hawks fic (I don't think I need to tell you that.) and I think I'll do okay on it.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character.

Part Two: Reptilia

Chapter One

When Ibis woke from her deep sleep, she felt more than refreshed. Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the thick fern leaves of the shelter and made the air in the small enclosure warm and stuffy, just the way she liked it. Ever since she could remember, she had loved the humidity of summer, had loved to lay out by the river a mile away from her house and bake herself in the sun until she was red all over. The burns always hurt like a bitch, but she would go back out as soon as her skin healed and do it all over again. Winter was beautiful to look at, but even the smallest cold wind irritated her to no end and made her retreat to the comfort of a nice, big, puffy blanket next to the wood stove and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. But here, in this little hut with Spitz still fast asleep amid the dirt and dead leaves, here was where she was happiest. The air was just right…but a tiny problem arose. Nature called, and loudly. Carefully stepping over her lazy lizard, she exited the hut and peered around in case there were any 'Hawks out searching for her. It was unlikely that they would, after the notes that she'd left had explained things pretty well, but it was better to be safe rather than sorry.

After taking care of her business, she felt the need for a drink. Ibis vaguely remembered a nature survival class she had taken at the Academy. The trick to finding water was to take note of any thick clumps of flourishing plants, animal paths, or trickling noises. She was surrounded by nice big plants, but there was no water to be found right here. She had always tanked at finding animal paths, so that wasn't any help. But a few steps back toward the hut revealed the sound of water from nearby. Following it, she stumbled quickly over boulders and past some of the biggest ferns she'd ever laid eyes on. About a quarter of a mile's worth of tromping through the forest, she found a small river that rushed by and looked to be about waist-deep. That assumption was enough to make Ibis jump with jubilation. She had never liked cold water, but just the thought of a nice, cool dip combined with her already stellar mood made her strip down to her undergarments and throw herself off the bank. The slightly icy water chilled her to the bone, but a kernel of heat in her stomach kept her from getting out right away. As she scrubbed at her dusty body and washed her hair, she couldn't seem to stop smiling, especially when Spitz emerged from the trees and watched her with an intense but flattering grin on his face. Ibis dunked her head under the water to rinse her hair one more time, then assumed a sultry expression and slowly stepped out of the river to stand in front of him.

Spitz's eyes widened at the sight of her wet, snow-white skin, her curvaceous hips and legs, her lean waist, and most of all her soaked underclothes hiding her most intimate of features. What was the use of those flimsy things, except to torment him by obscuring her body from his perusal? Why, one flick of a claw would cut those to ribbons and then she would be open to anything he desired. He caught her eye, and the smile on her face was enough to make him jerk off his leather vest and toss it to the ground before gathering her up in his arms and covering her mouth with his. Her skin was cold, colder than his, but after a moment of being pressed against his sun-warmed scales, she became warm as well. Craving the sensation of her scale-less flesh, Spitz ran his hands from her shoulder blades down to her bottom and back again. The exquisite smoothness made shivers race down his spine, and he pulled her closer and deepened their kisses. As he pulled her closer, he felt the soft globes on her chest squish between their bodies. Confused, he pulled back and looked at them. Apparently, they weren't articles of clothing because they were part of her skin, and they obviously weren't there for armor because, well, they had just given under the slight pressure of their meshed bodies. Ibis followed his gaze and giggled. "What _are_ thethe thingth?"

"They're called breasts, and they're parts that only mammal females have. They provide nourishment for offspring when a woman gives birth. Other than that, they're a source of pleasure, both physical and visual…"She trailed off, her cheeks colored a soft pink, and she took one of his hands and pressed his palm against one of the orbs. Spitz's curiosity was taken with the garment covering it, however, so he gently pulled at its edges and straps.

"And what ith thith for?"

"Um…it's used to modestly cover oneself from public view and—"

Spitz snorted derisively. "Why would you want to do that? I'm the only one here." He continued to pluck at the fabric, sizing up its dimensions and examining its details. Deciding that he had seen all he needed with the useless thing, he dropped the strap of it and became transfixed with the more interesting details of Ibis's shape underneath. Her sweet, white skin was shadowed beautifully by the shafts of light that slanted through the tree cover above, and Spitz could see the finest dusting of nearly microscopic hair lying against that skin. The sunshine reflected off those little hairs and made it seem like she was shimmering with glitter. His fingers traced her collarbone, her throat, and ran below her clavicle to her sternum. Here, the two soft objects caught his attention, and he firmly grasped one. Ibis gasped and laid her hand over his.

"Gently." Her voice was so intoxicatingly breathy that Spitz felt a stir below, but he ignored it in favor of his ventures. He nodded and relaxed his grip into a caress. At that touch, her flawless skin became covered with goose bumps that slowly faded away. Marveling in the discovery of such a human thing as goose bumps, Spitz felt emboldened to continue. Ibis made no protest when he slid the straps of the odd article off her shoulders, didn't make a sound when he pushed the parts hugging the sides of her chest down, but her hands tightened on his scales when the whole of the garment dropped away around her waist and revealed her to him. Without looking at her body, he raised his eyes and stared into hers. She seemed nervous and embarrassed at the same time. Spitz forgot his lusty discoveries for the moment and cupped her cheek, making her look at him. When her scared blue eyes met his, he gently kissed her lips.

"I won't do anything unleth you want me to."

"It's just a little unnerving, the way you…examine me. It makes me feel like something's wrong with me…"

" You know I've never theen anything like thethe. I'm jutht curiouth." She dropped her gaze again, and Spitz had to make her look at him again. "You're the motht beautiful creature I've ever laid eyeth on. I'd never think there wath anything wrong with you." Something in her eyes softened, and for just a second fragmented from the flow of time, Spitz could see that her admission of love the night before was true; his heart leaped with that knowledge. A blossoming flower of his own love swelled in his chest and he rested his forehead against hers and swayed her side to side a little.

"I've just never allowed someone to look at my body before. It's a little embarrassing." She ran her fingers over his scaly throat, over his shoulders, and down his arms. Suddenly, Spitz felt a rush of masculine pride at the deepening pink of her cheeks, the sparkle in her roving eyes. He was proud, he realized, that she found his lean body more than worthy. Something primal woke in him, and he dragged a claw through the flimsy fabric thing that had fallen to her waist. It fell apart and to the ground. Ibis watched it go. "You know, you could've just asked me to take it off. There's an easier way to do it without rip—" His lips met hers, and her words fell apart like the garment. Her eyes fluttered closed and her hand once again guided his to her chest. His fingers gently cupped her and kneaded when she silently asked him to. It was such a delicate thing, small enough to fit in his palm easily but full enough to fill it. On a whim, he traced a fingertip over the pink tip of her breast and was rewarded with a feminine gasp and a moan.

Grinning into the kisses, Spitz repeated the motion sensuously, reveling in her reactions. "You like that?" he breathed against her lips. She nodded and stared at him under heavy eyelids, then returned to kissing him impatiently, as if she couldn't wait to continue. He roughened his touch, making her body heat soar as she pressed against him. Remembering the first time they kissed, he gently nudged her head to the side and began teasing the tender skin at her throat with his teeth. An intense hunger rose up in his chest and he flicked his tongue out to taste her flesh, her sweet, sweet desire. A whimper whispered out of Ibis's mouth and he nipped gently, drawing out another moan from her. The need to claim her body and soul was stronger than the last time; the burning of his cold blood boiled faster and harder in his veins. Once again, he could feel his cock rise from its sheath and silently beg for attention. This time Ibis noticed it and reached a hand down to tentatively touch him. The heat of her hand seared him deliciously, and he threw his head back with a hiss of pleasure as his hips unconsciously bucked into her palm. Again, he wondered just what heaven awaited him when they succeeded in joining if a simple touch could drive him so easily crazy with desire. He felt his knees weaken, and he pulled Ibis down to the ground with him and laid her on the squishy carpet of leaf litter. He panted and sat up to look down at her.

Her pink hair was vibrant against the green of the forest floor; her eyes sparkled, wide and gray; her skin was rosy and her lips were swollen from his kisses; the last wet garment hugged her hips and defiantly covered her from his view. He hooked a finger in the waistband of that garment and waited for her approval. After a moment of nervous thinking, she met his eyes and nodded softly. He slowly pushed it down with both hands, forcing himself to follow its passage down her trim legs until it slid off her ankles and past her tiny toes. He dropped it nearby and lifted her foot into his hand, trying to decide why humans needed so many toes. He gave up wondering why and came to the conclusion that, on Ibis, the toes were simply cute. He ran a scaly fingertip over each one in turn, grinning as Ibis giggled; he had no idea that she was ticklish here.

He continued to the ankle, gently kissing the top of her foot and sliding his hand up her smooth calf to cup the back of her knee. He sprinkled kisses all the way up her shin, pausing every now and then to catch her eye; he was sufficiently pleased to note that she appeared short of breath. His unoccupied hand trailed along the outside of her thigh in what he intended to be a soothing caress, but he knew that it was only serving to excite her more. His lips trekked over her kneecap, and he stopped in surprise when he spied a hint of color at the apex of her inner thighs. It was a small triangle of hair, pink and curled, and it seemed to be yet another barrier keeping him from his goal. Frowning, he parted both legs, but had to remind himself to breathe when her womanly center was revealed in full. Parting her legs had spread her body like a canvas, and the delicate, curled hairs between her thighs did not cover nearly as much as he thought.

He was delighted to see that she was definitely ready for him; he slid a hand over her abdomen and lower down to touch the hair. It was even softer than her skin, or perhaps it was just another kind of soft. Allowing himself to look over her in greater detail, Spitz leaned close and touched a tentative fingertip to the glistening lips below. She made no sound but rather her hands gathered fistfuls of his cranial spikes. He kept a close eye on her expressions to make sure that she wasn't uncomfortable with his explorations. Her eyelids were more than halfway closed, and her eyes were a tiny bit glazed over as he lazily traced his finger over her. He smiled with lusty amusement and looped an arm around her right thigh to rest his head in his hand while he played with her. One of her hands released his spikes and trailed, as gently as a flower petal on the water, over his cheekbones and chin. His thumb ran over the slight hood of skin that topped the lips, and Ibis's legs jerked softly in response. She let out a tiny moan. Spitz glanced speculatively at the spot he'd touched, and the maturity lessons about the female anatomy that he'd received while still part of his tribe came back to him. The technical name for it, in his language, was nothing like the human name for it, but he knew as well as any other that it was one of the two main sources of pleasure for the female. Feeling mischievous, he lightly stroked over it again and delighted in her mewls.

He maneuvered slightly and pressed the tip of his middle finger to her entrance. Flicking his gaze up to hers in askance, he pushed inside. She swallowed a little and averted her eyes with an expression of slight embarrassment, but her cheeks flushed prettily and she let out her breath in a moan that made Spitz shudder with desire. He shifted his hips and began to slowly slide his finger in and out while his thumb continued to rub against her clitoris. Soon every languid stroke was accompanied by a whimper or moan, and Spitz started kissing the inside of her thigh. He knew that, at this leisurely pace, she wouldn't get far, but for now he was content to touch, taste, and enjoy her. Unfortunately he was still very aroused because the scent of her was driving him insane, and his instincts were urging him to just climb up and _take her_, but he ignored those instincts like so much background noise.

Just then, her stomach grumbled loudly and broke the spell. Spitz's pace slowed and he threw Ibis a skeptically amused smirk. "Hungry?" She swallowed and nodded quickly. He removed his fingers, despite Ibis's pouting lips, retrieved her garments from the riverbank, and then scooped her up bridal-style. Her cheeks were still flushed, and Spitz chuckled at her wide-eyed expression at his gallantry. He carried her back to their little makeshift hut and settled her inside it. "I'll get you thomething." He'd barely turned around to leave before she interjected her opinion.

"No. I want to go with you." She climbed out of the hut and stood tall next to him, as naked as the day she was born. At his confused pause, she added, "I need to brush up on my hunting skills anyway. It's been a while since my last outdoor survival class."

As Spitz lit a small fire at dusk, he marveled all over again at Ibis, who skinned first one fat leaper and then the second with an absorbed expression. Apparently she still felt a little shy, which Spitz thought was ludicrous, because she had pulled on her skin-tight suit again before they had gone into the forest to hunt. Almost as soon as they had gone in, Spitz had seen Ibis stiffen, and look around with her nostrils flaring with awareness. She had crouched down on the spot with such urgency that Spitz had thought that they were being attacked, but she began to search the undergrowth with an oddly familiar, single-minded look in her eyes. The thick, meaty scent of leapers had drifted under Spitz's nose and caused his mouth to water; he wondered how she had managed to catch the scent a full minute before him… Just as suddenly as she had crouched, Ibis stood and, with surprising ease, started to sprint through the trees without making a sound with her bare feet. Spitz followed in an ungainly fashion, since it had been quite some time since he himself had hunted. Within ten minutes, they had captured one leaper for each of them. Ibis had done the oddest thing as she had gone in for the kill of her prey: She had closed her eyes and kept them closed as she had killed the poor, doomed creature. She opened them only when she had turned the leaper's back to her face, and then, when she thought that Spitz wasn't looking, wiped a tear or two and began thanking someone for allowing her this meal. Spitz thought he had heard something like "Issmosa", but he chastised himself for thinking that as he did the same with his own god of choice, Uskrlor, the male Raptor god that bestowed strength, courage, and instinct. What would a human be doing praying to a Raptor deity? It was ridiculous and unprecedented. They had their own gods, didn't they?

The smell of hot meat soon permeated the night air around the campfire as the grease and fat dripped off the carcasses they had put on a spit. Spitz noticed that Ibis was watching the meat as she slowly turned it for even cooking. Her pupils were wide and she kept licking her lips. He scooted closer to her and kissed her on the cheek for daring to be so adorable. That night, they went to sleep with full bellies, but did not explore each other as they had earlier. In the morning, they packed their few belongings, lashed them to the back of Spitz's Bonewing bike, and had settled on it themselves. Spitz laid his long tail on Ibis's left thigh and revved the engine. Ibis's arms wound tightly around his waist and stayed there; he could smell the slight scent of fear on her…

"That'th right! You're thcared of flying, aren't you?" He remembered from the first day they had met she had told him that she didn't like flying at all. She nodded against his back, probably feeling ashamed of it. He wrapped a hand around one of her arms and gently squeezed. "I won't let anything happen to you. Jutht keep your armth around me and you'll be thafe. We're a wayth away from Bogaton, tho we'll have to bunk down at another terra for awhile. We won't be flying thtraight there." When she didn't reply, he added, "I've been flying thith piethe of junk for forty yearth. I know when thomething'th wrong with it, and I know how to handle an emergenthy. You have nothing to be afraid of tho long ath I'm with you." He held her hand up to his lips and kissed them softly. "You mean the world to me, Ibith."

A few moments passed as Ibis took in that information. Slowly her grip loosened enough to allow Spitz to breathe, and he kissed her knuckles again before he revved the engine and set out. As they dropped off the edge of the terra and the outspread wings caught the updrafts, Ibis didn't flinch once.


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: Sorry it's taking so long for each chapter, guys. I just started college and turned eighteen all at once, so I'm fairly busy outside of my home life. I wish I could write more, but I'm doing all I can for now. Thanks so much for reviewing and reading! Your comments make all the writer's blocks worth it in the end 3

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character.

Part Two: Reptilia

Chapter Two

When the Bonewing touched down on Bogaton two days later at dawn, Ibis was faintly surprised to see a unit of her soldiers jogging past in their usual formation with Leugey leading them. She had been preparing herself to see a measure of chaos because she'd been absent, but it seemed as if her wishes had been carried out to the letter without deviation. It was slightly appalling to come to the realization that Repton hadn't tried to take control again. When she and Spitz got off the bike and went to greet Leugey, she felt a rush of pride at the smiles on her cadets' faces. She definitely hadn't expected to see her subordinates as happy upon her return, especially since she had set them on a rigorous schedule. They all looked fit and healthy, much more so than they had when she had first come back from Cyclonis's base. The males all sported new bulk and the females didn't hesitate to crowd around Ibis and proudly show off their curves. She had to admit that she was surprised that Raptors adapted and changed so rapidly; she supposed that was one of the things that allowed them to evolve into a humanoid species in the first place.

"Miss Ibis?" Looking away from the spectacle of the males jokingly trying pick-up lines on the girls, Ibis found Leugey and Spitz waiting a few feet away from her with sober expressions. The smile melted off Ibis's face as she approached them.

"Yes?"

"A few things came up while you were away…" Leugey gestured toward the base nervously.

"Care to elaborate, Leugey?" Ibis kept her eyes on the towers.

"Ah, I'd rather not…" Leugey looked very uncomfortable, but he held his spine straight, a habit that he hadn't had before, and his eyes flickered with a growing intelligence.

"If you insist. Let's go, then." She waved the two brothers into line behind her and called out to the unit to continue on to the base. As the trio walked, their shadows stretched out before them with the setting sun to their backs. The cadets jogged past, jovially laughing and messing around with each other.

Ibis ordered the cadets to the mess hall for dinner once they arrived inside, then set a smiling Say'kar on a mission to announce her arrival. Leugey held his head down as he escorted Ibis and Spitz down through the levels. Say'kar's voice rang throughout the base as they descended, and Ibis heard a faint chorus of cheers up above them. Once again, she wondered what could be so wrong when her subordinates continued to think highly of her. They were heading for the dungeons; what was waiting there for her?

As Leugey rounded the final corner, it hit her. _Damn it, Repton!_ She felt her blood simmer under her skin, and the cybernetics awoke. She suppressed them and strode into the dark basement. For some reason, she could see more clearly in the dark now than she could before. Eating healthy food must be doing her good as well, she assumed. The first four huge cages were empty, but the one on the end, the one Ibis had once been in, was occupied. A great hulking figure was leaning up against the bars, facing them, and its tail twitched impatiently. She raised a hand and allowed it to illuminate the cage. Repton's beady eyes stared mutinously back at her. Taking a breath to steady her rising temper, Ibis came closer to the bars and quietly asked, "Do you not understand the meaning of self-control?"

Repton snarled menacingly back at her in response.

"Don't take that tone with me. I was expecting you and your brothers to make sure that everything went as planned while I was away. I see that you couldn't even do that."

"You aren't fit to command them. I simply tried to make things better."

Not believing that Repton meant well for anyone but himself, Ibis turned to Leugey. "Well? What exactly did he do?"

Leugey shifted uncomfortably for a moment. "He…ah, he tried to turn them against you. It almost worked, but there were too many people who like you." Repton spat at Leugey's feet.

"Enough of that. Well, now you can see that it won't work. But why even try in the first place?"

"You know why. You're a young, inexperienced, softhearted female. There's no room for you here. Females only make things worse."

"Don't thay that, Repton." Spitz's voice was strangely dark and full of warning as he leveled an odd gaze on his eldest brother.

"I didn't ask to be captured and brought before Master Cyclonis like a calf to be slaughtered. But she put me in charge because she decided you weren't fit to command. She made the decision, not me. I signed the official papers, so there's really nothing you can do at this point. And I don't care if you think I'm softhearted and inexperienced. I'll be whatever I have to be to make it easier for us to survive in Cyclonis's world." Ibis closed her bright hand around a bar and leaned her forehead on it, suddenly tired of revisiting this issue again. "You know, if you don't like it here, you can leave."

Silence ensued. Ibis looked up at Repton. He wasn't watching her, but instead was glaring at his brothers. No…not glaring, she thought. Something else…

"Look around, Repton. Not counting the bars, there's no one trying to make you stay here. I'm not forcing you to stay or cooperate. I never ordered you to do anything; I always invited you to make your own choices. If you aren't happy here, you're free to go back to wherever you came from." She got no response. "If Cyclonis asks, I'll tell her that you died during a mission. That way, you won't have to worry about anyone trying to find you." More silence. She felt eyes on her from behind and turned to see Spitz watching her. His expression was very different…he looked…_sad_. "What?"

"Just tell her, Spitz." Repton sounded tired, much older than he usually appeared.

"Tell me what?"

Spitz sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over his face. Repton spoke again. "Tell her why we can't go back. Why women can't do anything but screw us over." Spitz's face scrunched up under his palm.

"It'th not alwayth women who thcrew thingth up, Repton."

"Take a good look around you, baby brother. Who commands us? Who commands _her_? Who kicked us out when we tried to make things better? Think, brother. Your eyes are as good as mine."

Spitz pursed his lips and nodded to Leugey, who opened the cage door and let Repton out. "Mith Ibith, I think it'th time you learned our hithtory."

Spitz and Ibis sat on Ibis's bed a few hours later. Ibis watched as Spitz knitted his fingers together fretfully and chewed his bottom lip. She knew it was a serious situation, but she had the urge to kiss him for his cute habits. She held back, though, and kept silent while he collected his thoughts. Whatever he was about to tell her was extremely uncomfortable for him to admit, that much she knew. But she couldn't stand to see him so worked up; she reached over and took his hand in hers. Without a word, Spitz gathered her in his arms and held her back to his front. His breath was warm against her neck as he buried his nose in her hair.

"You remember I told you about my brotherth and me?" He kept his voice to a whisper as if he was admitting a shameful secret, and he probably was. She knew the feeling all too well. She nodded and raised one of his hands to her lips, absently kissing his knuckles.

"Well, by the time we were nearly adultth, Master Thyclonith'th mother wath the head of Thyclonia. Her grandmother had pathed away while we were growing, but her mother wath there to take over the 'family buthineth'. By that time, Thyclonian propaganda wath known by nearly everyone among our tribeth. Our food thupply wath getting lower, the animalth we hunted were growing fewer, our enemieth were becoming fatht threatth, and we were growing larger. There wathn't enough food to go around, and people became rethentful of how the matriarch of our own tribe wath rationing the food. Thingth in the tribeth aren't nearly ath political ath the outthide world, but we thtill hear thingth and take thideth. Thyclonia thounded great right about then, like a paradithe. Mother Thyclonith herself even came to each individual tribe and offered them the chanthe to become part of her army. She didn't wait for any anthwers; she jutht came, offered, and went. She theemed pretty confident that she would get at leatht a little portion of what she wanted. Any thupport she could garner would be enough.

The world wath growing and becoming more intelligent; the Tribeth' wayth thtayed behind in the patht. Our generation grew impatient of the gap in technology, and many of uth young oneth knew that Mother Thyclonith would provide uth with the tech we needed to finally overcome our couthinth, the Terradonth. There had already been tho many fruitleth fightth over territory and resourtheth with them by then. In retaliation to the violenthe, our matriarch held a tribal meeting becauthe of conflicting opinionth. She told uth that it wath better to keep our headth down and not thtart a fight with anyone. She thaid we were a proud rathe that didn't depend on outthide help for our thurvival. It had alwayth been that way. Motht everyone quieted down, but Repton had other ideath. The latht battle had killed both our parentth, and many other young hatchlingth like uth had lotht their parentth in that battle too. Ancient ritual indicateth that revenge for a family killing meanth you take hothtageth from the offending tribe and demand repayment, or the thtolen member thufferth death. But the matriarch had thaid not to thtir thingth up, and she had even thigned a peathe treaty with the Terradonth. Repton dethided to take matterth into hith own handth." Spitz shivered then, a soft shudder passing through Ibis's frame. She rubbed a thumb across his hand at her waist to comfort him, but if he felt it he showed no signs.

"He crothed the border one night about ten yearth later with all of uth. We three weren't really sure if what we were doing wath the right thtep to take to exact revenge, but we lithened to him anyway becauthe he wath the oldetht and he'd never taken 'no' for an anthwer. We thneaked into the Terradon camp and took about ten hothageth. The next morning, our deed wath dithcovered. Trying to negotiate with the Terradonth only rethulted in uth having to thacrifithe a few of them. I killed one of them mythelf. The poor guy went down pleading for hith life. He didn't have anything to do with the battleth. He thaid hith parentth were killed too, and I didn't want to kill him, knowing that. But I had to do it anyway. Repton had told uth that if we didn't do ath he thaid, he'd kill uth in their plathe. Jutht when Repton thought he wath getting them to cooperate, our matriarch thent warriorth to capture uth and haul uth back to the tribe. The Terradonth we caught were brought with uth. We were brought to the martriarch'th feet and forthed to exthplain ourthelveth. Repton thaid we had done it in revenge for our familieth, which wath the rightful way to do thingth. He thaid only cowardth refuthed to take action in the fathe of dithhonor.

"The matriarch wath dithguthted with Repton for dithobeying orderth, and with uth for following him. We tried to thay that we only did it becauthe he forthed uth to, but she wouldn't lithten." Spitz's voice dropped to a whisper, and Ibis almost couldn't hear his next words. "She exthiled uth from the territory of all the tribeth; if we ever returned, we would be killed without thought." He fell silent. Ibis kept the silence, not sure what to say to something like that. _Poor Spitz…poor boys…_ Spitz surprised her by clearing his throat and strengthening his voice as if he wanted to cover up his emotions with nonchalance.

"Tho we took our band of rogueth and made a thettlement here on Terra Bogaton, which we didn't know wath Thyclonian territory. It wathn't long before Mother Thyclonith found uth thtaying there. Mother Thyclonith wath in failing health, and her daughter wath barely old enough to underthtand her mother'th goalth enough to take on the empire should her mother die, but that didn't thtop Mother from offering uth a deal. Dethpite the Thyclonith women making an all-around evil name for themthelveth, Mother Thyclonith was a generouth woman. She allowed uth time to organithe ourthelveth and create a new home from what wath here. It took about five yearth to really get uthed to it, tho by the time we finished, Mother Thyclonith wath on her deathbed, and her daughter wath only fourteen. When Mother died, Thyclonis herthelf took over completely and enlithted uth to her cauthe. Her only thtipluation wath that we give her our undying loyalty and thervithe in exthchange for living in her family'th territory. If we ever dithobeyed or doublecrothed her, she'd kill uth and take back her land. We would leave for another terra, but there'th no other terra that would thupport uth like thith one doeth, or like our home terra did. There'th no other plathe for uth to go." He took her hand and pressed his lips to it for a moment. He avoided her eyes.

"…Oh, Spitz…I…I had no idea."

"That'th why Repton can't leave. Why none of uth can leave. And why Repton ith tho hung up on women leading otherth. He figureth that you're all out to get him." He faintly smiled, but it didn't last.

"But that's ludicrous. Why would I be out to get him? I've already gotten back at him for going back on his word. I have nothing else to inflict on him."

"Try to thee it hith way: he tried to change thingth for what he thought wath the better back home, then got exthiled _by our martriarch_ for it and ran away to a plathe where he could be the partriarch, only to find that he would have to _anthwer to women_ again. He got along with that without complaint until he got hith ath handed to him _by a woman _and demoted back to grunt thtatuth _becauthe of a woman_. It shouldn't be tho thurprithing that he'th exthtremely biathed." Faced with that knowledge, Ibis began to see what Spitz meant. If it were her in Repton's place, she knew she would be resentful of those who had pushed her away into the corners of existence. Suddenly, she felt a wave of pity for him and his loyal brothers. In truth, demanding the blood of their enemies in exchange for the spilt blood of their parents wasn't that much different from her own murder of the barkeeper that fateful evening for forcing her mother into insanity. With a jarring inner jolt, she realized that the path that led her here was almost exactly like the one that led the refugee brothers here. She felt a saddening tug at her heart as she unconsciously leaned into Spitz and buried her face in the crook of his scaly neck. He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her again and squeeze her softly.

"Spitz…" Her voice was muffled by his shoulder and the efforts she was taking to hold back her tears.

"Hmm?" He pulled back to look at her. "What'th wrong?" His expression of self-pity changed to concern.

"I understand…what you told me. When you told me that you went for revenge for your parents….." She paused, searching for the right words to say what she knew she couldn't keep from him any longer. He waited patiently, his eyes still concerned but wide with curiosity. "The reason I've never felt human is because I…I killed a man who basically killed my mother, and I didn't feel sickened or remorseful for it, like sane humans are supposed to. I felt…..exhilarated. I took a fellow human's life and I felt like I was finally even with that horrid man." She kept from looking at him. He probably thought she was mentally deranged for it, but somehow she didn't think he would be. Still, she hadn't spoken these words to anyone since Xandra. It was a mixture of refreshing and uncomfortable, like she was cleaned of all the dirt on her body but was left to dry out naked in a crowd.

"Ibith….that'th nothing to be ashamed of. You did what you had to do. Your mother'th life had to be paid for, and the one who took it from her got what he detherved. You didn't do anything wrong, and you're not crathy." He hooked a finger under her chin and spoke with a voice that made her think of an adult telling a child something that they had misunderstood. Relief washed over her when he fell silent, and a fresh wave of tears overcame her. She threw her arms around her surprised lizard and laughed. A sob caught in her throat. "Ibith?"

Catching him by surprise, again, she kissed him squarely and firmly on the lips. "You make me so happy, Spitz." He smiled warmly at that admittance.

"Why'th that?"

"Because, you silly reptile," she said with a playful slap on his chest, "you are the only person who has accepted that fact about me. Even my best friend had trouble accepting it. But you just blew through that whole awkward, unsure stage right to not caring whether I did it or not."

"You did what you had to do," he repeated. "Bethideth, I love you. Every part of you, even the thingth you might be ashamed of." His voice turned tender then, and Ibis pulled him into a kiss. He didn't resist, but instead dug a hand into her hair and cupped her head gently. His other hand ran down her spine to her outer hip and tugged her closer. Shifting in his lap so her torso faced him, she straddled his hips and settled back in his lap. Her body pressed flush against his, their kisses became less lustful and more loving. She wasn't surprised when she was poked with his arousal, but he didn't make any move to progress; he just kept his hands where they were and kept kissing her. Her only other boyfriend had been eager to try and show her how to do more sexual things, but she had never been brave enough to try any of them. He had always been pawing at her whenever he thought he could get away with it, so Ibis had gotten used to his rough fondling and impatient moods. Being with Spitz at this moment, though, was so alien compared to her first boyfriend. A purely feminine sensation rippled through her, and she felt a deep-seated arousal of her own lighting fires in her belly in response to his gentle patience.

Concluding to herself on that point, she shifted her hips in his lap, her common sense draining away as heat pooled between her thighs. His body responded just as she knew it would, as if they had done this many times before. The hardness now pressing at her most tender place excited her to no end. It was nothing like it had been in the forest a few days ago. That had been a time of exploration, but now it was a moment of pure, animal instinct. Ibis tilted her lower body at an angle, feeling the oddest urge to do something she knew she couldn't do, like lift a tail away from her most intimate area for better access. The world once again shrank to just their lips, hips, and hands as they clutched, grasped, skimmed over, and kneaded one another. Ibis knew that, if she allowed it, they could go further with this…_Maybe, _she pondered to herself, _maybe this is it. Maybe this is the moment for us to—_

A curt, official knock split the silence. Both Ibis and Spitz froze, and Ibis closed her eyes in frustration as a deep growl of annoyance rumbled in her throat. Probably feeling her tense, trembling muscles as rising anger, Spitz soothingly rubbed her upper arms to calm her. She gave him a quick peck on the nose before she rose off of him and walked to her chamber door, letting her boots fall heavily to warn the interrupter of their dire situation. For some reason, Ibis felt so unsettled and angry at the loss of Spitz's hands and lips on her. Why the sudden rush of ire? She'd never been this quick to anger before. Maybe it was near her monthly time. That would probably explain her rapid-fire, elbows-deep emotional roller coaster.

Ibis pulled the double doors open and glared at the messenger. It was Say'kar, and judging by the nervous look on his face, he knew very well what he had just done. "Yes? What is it, Say'kar?" A small part of her felt bad for being so abrupt towards him, but it didn't come close to overpowering her other emotions. Say'kar gave a sniff in her direction, which caused his eyes to widen, and stuttered over his words. He didn't seem so much scared of her as interested…

"Master Cyclonis radioed in for you, Miss Ibis. She's waiting. She says it's best if you hear it from her."

"Now? At this hour?"

'Yes, ma'am."

Ibis snorted softly like an animal clearing its nose of a foul smell, then assumed a more dignified stance. "Fine then. Take your leave, Say'kar. It's late; get to bed." She didn't wait to see if he would, but instead glanced back apologetically at Spitz. "I won't be long." Then she left.

Say'kar unconsciously leaned in the direction that Ibis took, sniffing the air with interest. His pupils grew wide. A hand clapped on his shoulder, startling him. Spitz's eyes pinned him down with contempt. "Don't even think about it."

"Is she wearing perfume? It's really nice…"

"Any thort of move you're thinking about making on her, you remember that she'th _mine_, underthtand?"Spitz leaned down and snarled menacingly. Say'kar immediately noticed the raw hostility in his eyes and almost physically balked at the realization that Miss Ibis was leaving a scent trail of pheromones and Lieutenant General Spitz was the male who would whip any challenger's ass for trying to claim her over him during a mating season. It wasn't such a big secret that the two of them were messing around, but no one had yet figured that they were really serious about it. All ponderings aside, though, it was purely instinctual when Say'kar nodded and backed away with his tail tucked between his legs as Lieutenant General Spitz straightened and threw out his chest slightly. It was more than just male posturing; it was a sign that indicated who was the more dominant of their gender.

When Ibis returned to her room, Spitz was laid out on her bed, his hormones going full blast. His hands cushioned his head from behind while a foot dangled lazily off the edge of the mattress. Though he appeared to be relaxing, he was far from settled. The overwhelming scent of her pheromone-fueled arousal still hanging thickly in the air mixed with the rush he got from warding off the younger Raptor's naïve interest with his display of dominance, Spitz felt undeniably confident. He wanted to, as humans would put it, "knock her socks off", whatever "socks" were. He settled for giving her seductive bedroom eyes as she walked through the double doors and closed them resolutely behind her.

As she neared the bed, however, Spitz knew within a second that her pheromones were severely toned down and that her face betrayed the news that she had received from Cyclonis. He immediately shifted over and embraced her gently. Her face was slightly paler that usual, but she looked very thoughtful.

"Ibith? What ith it?"


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: Sorry it's taking so long for each chapter, guys. I just started college and turned eighteen all at once, so I'm fairly busy outside of my home life. I wish I could write more, but I'm doing all I can for now. Thanks so much for reviewing and reading! Your comments make all the writer's blocks worth it in the end 3

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character.

Part Two: Reptilia

Chapter Three

Ibis's face was set in an emotionless mask, hiding whatever thoughts she might have. Despite this, Spitz knew exactly what she was thinking and feeling. He shifted his spiked armor again, wishing he didn't have to wear it; he had put it on at dawn before they had left Bogaton in one of Master Cyclonis's generously donated battleships, and the edges were starting to chafe and make his scales itch. Sneaking a finger between his shoulder and the padding for a discreet scratch, he remembered just why they had set out in the first place. When Ibis had returned to her room that night, they had not given in to their obvious desires. The news she had to share had obliterated any chance of further romance. This first command from Master Cyclonis had clearly shaken Ibis. And Spitz could see why.

The command that they had received was to go to a large terra just outside the Cyclonian Empire's borders and claim it for Cyclonis. That wasn't what was bothering Ibis, though. Claiming landmass was simple, far too simple. Instead of planting Cyclonian colors on every visible inch of the terra and leaving, they had to first clear out the inhabitants. "Clear out" from Cyclonis usually meant "kill". And Ibis wasn't too keen on killing innocent people and their children, because surely these poor people hadn't done anything except exist to offend Cyclonis. And Ibis was struggling to not defy orders. There would be no honor in killing those who were innocent. Spitz knew that well.

Now he stood here in silence in the main captain's quarters with Ibis and his brothers. Ibis had her hands splayed on the large table before them, the crisp map of Cyclonian territory and surrounding lands displayed below her fingertips. Her eyes were locked on the terra they had to invade. It was just a simple farming terra, the inhabitants barely making enough of a living to export to other terras, let alone feed themselves. Even Repton, who usually had no qualms about doing something foul for his own gain, was against this job. They were all on the same page about this: these people did nothing to deserve being killed and therefore were not to be killed at all. But what to do about Cyclonis's orders?

They stayed silent for a good ten minutes while Ibis argued with herself in her head. Spitz looked out the window behind him and his brothers. It was a huge window that wrapped around the hemisphere of the top deck, and so showed that they were nearing their destination fairly rapidly. If Ibis was coming up with a plan of attack, she'd better make it up quick if she wanted anything done. Just before he tried to get her attention to tell her this, she gasped softly and her eyes flickered to another part of the map not far from the soon-to-be-invaded terra. A hand went to her mouth and she began chewing at her thumbnail. Spitz saw the immediate change in her expression. Before, she had been resigned and reluctant, but now her eyebrows angled downward and her lips curled in a triumphant grin. "I got it." Straightening up, she clapped her hands and rubbed them together. "Alright, go to your divisions. I'll give you all orders by intercom. Everyone will hear me. And you know your individual orders: if anyone in your troops defies my word, they will be punished severely. Clear?" Spitz and his brothers nodded once, including Repton. Spitz was noticing a little change in Repton, and it was something close to toleration. "Keep your eyes peeled for me, guys. See you in half an hour."

As Spitz went by Ibis to exit the bridge, he stopped and whispered, "You got a good idea?"

She didn't turn to answer him, but instead kept her back to him. "You'll see. Be safe out there."

Once he had addressed his troops to stand at attention, he heard the intercoms crackle to life, and Ibis's voice rang out overhead. "Alright, here are your orders. You all know the penalty for disobeying me, so listen carefully. We've been ordered to clear out the non-Cyclonian inhabitants of this terra, so we'll clear them out. Here's where you need to pay close attention: you are not to harm any single one of the people or animals. Go to homes and fields in groups of three and address someone. Tell them that their home is unfortunately going into Cyclonian hands, but that they will be assigned Cyclonian citizenship if they wish to stay or allowed to pack a bag of belongings and deported to another terra outside the border lines if they refuse. Help those that wish to leave to the ship and allow them to board. If anyone fights you, defend yourself to the barest extent. Do _not_ hurt anyone. If you must restrain someone, do so. For those leaving, allow them ten minutes to pack and do not allow them to pack alone. If they escape and remain there without citizenship, they will be found and killed by less kind Cyclonians than us. I won't allow that to happen." She stayed silent for a moment to let that sink in. "Now you have your orders. Make me proud, soldiers. Prepare for landing."

On their way back from outside Cyclonian territory, Spitz got Ibis alone on the bridge and joined her gazing out the front window. He watched the clouds roll by for a while before he spoke. "Your orderth were followed to the latht." He eyed her curiously.

"Oh, good. Thank you Spitz." She smiled to herself and reached out to touch his arm. He caught it and gently pulled her to face him.

"What wath that?" He frowned at her. The smile melted away from her lips.

"What do you mean?"He wrapped his arms around her, closing her in protectively.

"I mean dithobeying Thyclonith'th orderth like that. Do you know what she could do to you if she found out?"Ibis's expression grew fierce with his words.

"I did what I saw fit. She distinctly said 'clear out', not 'kill'." She tried to twist out of his arms, but he held her fast.

"But she _meant_ 'kill'. If she—"

"If Cyclonis is smart, she'll listen to me when I explain that sparing lives will not spur people to become her enemy. Sparing lives will give her either neutral citizens or sympathizers, and that is far more powerful than enemies. Yes?"

"Yeth, but Thyclonith ithn't worried about more enemieth. She'd rather have her thubordinateth carry out her orderth without doing their own thing. Like you jutht did. If she knows, she'll gut you." He shook her softly for emphasis.

"Probably, Spitz, but I have a trick up my sleeve. Cyclonis is a clever woman, but I wouldn't have done this if I hadn't known that I'm invulnerable from any threats she might throw at me right now. Think about it: I've got my weapon. If I put my mind to it and unleash the Beast if she attacks me, she'll have a good fight on her hands. And if she wants to kill me, that's her loss. I know that she thinks me to be her new secret weapon, one that she had effortlessly handed to her from the Sky Knights themselves. She won't just throw me away; I'm one of a kind, and there aren't any other Sky Knight lined up to go under the knife for this weapon. I was the only one fit for it, and odds are that there won't be another perfectly suited for it for a long time, so she can't just toss my body away and order another one brought to her. I'm unique, and she knows it. I'm _indispensable._"She stopped and cupped his cheek with one hand. "So don't worry about me. I may be a girl, but I can take care of myself if I need to. I'm big and strong and tough and all that, so you don't need to play the alpha male quite yet." She said this last part jokingly with a flirtatious bat of her eyelashes at him. He smirked and scooped her up in a kiss.

"Thpeaking of me playing the 'alpha male', you know that I really do need to when it cometh to the other maleth on Bogaton, right?"

"Mmm?"She began absently playing with his cranial spikes, which made his toes almost curl from pleasure.

"The other maleth are thtarting to notithe that you're leaving a…prominent thcent trail. It'th not uncommon for them to begin fighting amongtht themthelveth for the right to mate with you, but they're waiting to thee what I do. They know that you and I are…well…"

"Dating?"

"Ah, you could put it that way. We call it 'courting', though."

"Oh, so we're courting then. How _aristocratic_." She faked a smarmy accent for the latter that made Spitz snicker. "So they know you're courting me. Big deal."

"Well, they know, but it really ith a big deal. If there'th another male that'th got hith eye on you, he could challenge me for you at any time. If he won, he'd try to claim you."

"I haven't been encouraging anybody. I've been doing my thing as top general, but I haven't flirted with anyone except you." She poked his nose with her index finger.

"Your advantheth don't matter much; it'th a matter of which male ith going to be better for you, ath a provider and protector and all that."

"Mm, I can see that." She paused and looked him over. "You look like you could provide for and protect me, though. Has anyone been really hostile to you lately?"

"No one other than Repton, but he'th hothtile to everybody."

"That's definitely true. I should talk to him about that."

"Thtill, I don't want you alone with anyone in case they try to…you know." Spitz held her closer and kissed her forehead.

"What, try to take advantage of me? You insult me, Spitz. I wouldn't let anyone do that. I'd halve and quarter them like a side of beef. Though if you do see someone walking around with a bloody stump, just send them to the infirmary with a pat on the head." She chuckled quietly.

Spitz thought a moment, looked around the empty bridge, then raised a hand and gently brushed her cheek with his thumb. "Tho I'm the only one you want to touch you like thith?" Ibis leaned into the sweet touch with a tender smile and a nod. "And thith?" He moved his hand into her hair and cupped the back of her head. She didn't make a move to stop him, just kept smiling contently with her eyes closed. "And now?" He supported her head and leaned her back so he could kiss softly down her throat. A tiny sigh of pleasure was her answer. He could smell the faint pheromones gently spiking with every kiss; he knew they were hours away from Bogaton, and he had ordered the guards outside the bridge's entrance to not allow anybody else in unless it was an emergency. He smiled at his good fortune and let his forked tongue snake out and flick at the hollow of her throat. He could see her heart beating faster at her pulse point, and her body heat suddenly ratcheted up a few degrees. Her eyes suddenly snapped open, though, and she gently pushed him away. He was disappointed, but he could see her cheeks were colored and her hair ruffled.

"This isn't really the best place for that, Spitz." She glanced up at him shyly. "I mean, where would we…um…?" He looked around and grinned, pointing at the table with the map still laying on it.

"I could lay you on that table. You'd be like my own buffet." He leered at her suggestively. She blushed at his implications. "Or," he continued, waving his hands around at the perimeters of the room, "I could push you up againtht one of the wallth and have my way with you." He enjoyed teasing her; her face was getting redder and redder beneath her hair. Spitz had almost forgotten that she was still an innocent herself; she probably hadn't consciously thought that they would go further and actually mate. An idea came to him. "Or I could lay down and _you _could have your way with _me_." Ibis's eyes opened wider at that statement, and she eyed him with interest, her fingers toying with the edge of his leather jerkin. With what looked like an impulsive surge of motion, she stopped playing with his jerkin and roughly pushed it and his heavy armor off his torso. The armor made a loud noise as it clattered to the floor, but neither of them took any notice. Spitz could see that she was battling her own lust and curiosity with an odd sort of restraint bordering on virginal hesitation. She pressed her hot little hands on his shoulders and gently forced him down to the floor.

He sat down heavily next to his armor and brushed it farther to the side as Ibis straddled his hips. "That's true; I've let you see me, but I haven't seen you yet." She let her fingers traced soft burning lines over the plates of his chest and marveled at the stunning changes that had overcome him in the last months. Her heart pounded and spread heat throughout her body in rhythmic throbs that settled between her legs. She wanted more than anything to be able to ease the feverish ache there, but first…she decided to satisfy her inquisitiveness. She spread her fingers across his chest and rubbed them up to his shoulders, drawing him closer against her. He pillowed his head on her breasts and the thin films of his inner eyelids drew over his eyes as she gently massaged his knotted muscles. A contented hissing sound not unlike a purr issued from between his teeth while she worked. On a whim, Ibis smoothed her hands up his skull and began playing with his spines, causing him to shudder and fail to hold back a groan. Her hesitation faded when she heard it, and she started kissing down his temple to his neck. The hissing continued as she pressed soft kisses along his scales.

His arms curled around her tighter as he sighed softly into the crook of her neck. He went to kiss her, but she moved away from him. Confused, he looked at her, his inner eyelids flicking back. She waggled a finger at him and said, "You played explorer last week; I didn't interfere. Now you must wait while I play." Ibis felt Spitz shiver from the implication in her tone of voice, and then he bent his head back and allowed her to continue unhindered. She smiled and placed a wet kiss on his bare shoulder, letting her tongue trace the outline of the random scale beneath it. Spitz moaned again and didn't bother to try to hide it. Ibis giggled as she felt his cock slide out of its sheath underneath her. "I think I like ordering you around. I could tell you to do anything, and you'd do it, I bet." Spitz nodded, only half-listening as his inner eyelids slid back over his eyes. "Because you love me." He nodded again, more lucidly than before. Without her permission, he unzipped her bodysuit and kissed her collarbone tenderly.

"More than anyone or anything elthe in the world…"

Ibis closed her eyes and touched her forehead to his. "I love you too, Spitz." She lowered her hips onto his lap and felt his arousal press against her core. The ache between her legs grew both better and worse at the same time. "And you've done so much for me in so little time. You've saved me from death and fed me, made me comfortable and loved me. I don't know what I can do to even start my share of the work in this relationship."

Spitz shook his head at her and kissed her, softly grinding against her and making shivers of pleasure pool in her stomach. "I didn't do thothe thingth becauthe I had to; no one wath forthing me. I wath making you happy, wathen't I? And ath long ath you're happy, I don't need anything in return."

Ibis smiled again. "That's not what your boner says." Spitz laughed his hissy laugh.

"Yeah, well, I can't help that. How can I not be turned on by thith?" He slowly ran his hands all the way down her body from her breasts to her hips to emphasize, but his eyes stayed locked with hers.

"Well, then, allow me to make you happier." She gently pulled away from his hands and slid down between his legs, her eyes now fixed on the bulge in his breeches. Pausing for a moment, she started peeling her suit off and kicking off her boots. Her thin undergarments followed, and Spitz's eyes followed them all the way down to the floor. The ship passed a dark cloud that blocked most of the sunlight, but the strip lights in the bridge remained on. Rain began to patter at the windows. Ibis let Spitz drink the sight of her body in, and then took the waist of his breeches in her fingers and tugged them down. His cock sprang up to meet her, and she blushed hard despite herself.

She had read her book's section on anatomy many times since she and Spitz had become more intimate, and had studied the detailed sketches dozens of times more; nothing had prepared her for seeing the real thing before her: red-pink and engorged, it stood away from his body and pointed expectantly at her. Its head was shaped exactly like a human male's was and beaded with clear liquid, but tiny ridges of flesh ran in perfectly straight lines down the top and underside of the rest of his cock. Ibis gulped and clenched her inner muscles to ease the aching that was now very prominent. Her heart thundering against her ribcage yet again, she crawled closer to it and went to wrap a hand around it. "Wha-what are you gonna do?" Ibis looked up at Spitz and blushed even harder at his lust-darkened eyes. She was actually pretty thankful that he had said something; she knew that if she had kept concentrating on his…his…ah, just thinking about this intimidating organ of his was enough to make her incredibly nervous. If she had kept her eyes on it, she would've chickened out. She was already worried enough. What if she hurt him with her teeth? What if she gagged? What if he didn't like what she did? She'd never even come close to anything like this with anyone, but Xandra had been the one to fill her in and give her tips. All the time they'd been on the Condor and Junko had been a very real prospect, Xandra had shown her with an innocent banana, in embarrassing detail, what to do, and Ibis had been a diligent and quick-learning student, but now that she was here in a different place with Spitz's eyes on her, all those quick-learned tips and how-to's jumbled up in her head. Thankful that he'd spoken up and drawn her attention to his face, she found that the only way to experiment was to do it and not over-think it. Keeping her eyes locked with his, she wrapped a gentle hand around his surprisingly warm cock and lowered her mouth to the tip.

Spitz felt her soft little fingers grip him, and another tiny bead of semen escaped him. Her eyes held his in a snare of innocence, and then a line of fire coursed over his sensitized flesh. She had licked him! He gasped and laid an urgent hand on her shoulder. The wet spot on his cock instantly cooled as she moved away from him, probably afraid that she had done something wrong. She went to release him, but he kept her down gently, unable to speak for the aftershocks of intense pleasure racking his body. A ragged breath rattled out of his chest and he nodded at her. The creases of worry left her forehead and Ibis closed her eyes and ran the tip of her tongue around the head in slow circles. With every circle Spitz thought he was about to come, but his body became accustomed to the molten heat and he found that there was a new level of pleasure that he could handle. He braced himself with one hand while the other tangled itself in her hair. He watched her as she became more confident and began using her lips on him as well. She tasted and kissed and licked more of him as his moans encouraged her. His cock was slick with her saliva now, and she tightened her fingers around him now, pumping him with her hand as she sucked the head. Those slow-paced movements created waves of sensation that beat at his every nerve ending. Now she began taking more of him into her mouth as she bobbed up and down; the sight and feeling of his cock disappearing into her hot mouth was so damnably erotic that he threw back his head and groaned loudly.

Oh, she loved him. She loved him, she loved him. She was working so hard to please him, he knew it. He couldn't help but marvel at the speed at which her tongue now moved across the bottom of his cock, the precision with which she built up the anticipation. He could feel his pulse throughout his body; her heat was incredible. His mind churned out nonsense as he slipped farther and farther into the depths of the pleasure she was giving him. The scent of her pheromones became almost overwhelming. The heat of her mouth suddenly engulfed nearly his entire cock, and he felt hot, wet flesh pressing at his head from all sides, constricting him and releasing him alternately. His head span and he looked down at her in surprise. Her lips were almost all the way to his sheath, and he knew that her throat was wrapped tight around the end of his penis. Just the thought of it collected all the pleasure he had felt into one large coil ready to spring back; pleasure assaulted him and he began forcing her head up and down in a feverish rhythm.

Keeping her hand and mouth working, Ibis let Spitz use her. She risked a glance at him, and the sight of his eyes screwed up tight in ecstasy made her feel powerful. His moaning grew louder and strained, and, as the flesh underneath her fingers became less like pliable flesh and more like rigid steel, his eyes snapped open and a hot spurt of liquid hit the roof of her mouth. The liquid kept coming as Spitz cried out as if in pain. Ibis had no choice but to let it come. Finally, Spitz stopped moving her head quite so frantically, instead pushing and pulling her slowly up and down his length. His body twitched every now and then. Ibis pulled her mouth off him gently, making sure not to spill a drop of his ejaculate. She swallowed it, musing on the salty taste as Spitz promptly fell back onto the floor and whispered between gasps of air in a smooth foreign language filled with hisses and long vowels.

Her curiosity overwhelmed her arousal and she listened to him. The rhythm of the words sounded like poetry to her. It was beautiful; it was magnificent; it was the language of the Raptors. Climbing out from between his sprawling legs and laying down next to him, she waited until his breathing calmed. At last, he opened his eyes and looked dazedly at her. He couldn't seem to focus for a moment, and Ibis smiled warmly at him. He smiled weakly back and pulled her closer. She laid her head down on his chest and heard him softly whisper, "I love you, Ibith."

"I love you too, Spitz." Then she heard his breathing even out into the measured breaths of sleep. 


	21. Pause For Effect: Notice From Author

ATTENTION, ICB READERS!

Because of a lack of reviews, I am forced to post this. I have said numerous times that I gather inspiration from your reviews and they embolden me to continue writing. If I hear nothing, I assume that you do not wish to read my story anymore, and thus I stop writing at all. It has been many months since your last review, and I have grown disheartened. You could say that I am holding ICB ransom: comments for chapters! If I don't hear semi-regular feedback from you readers, **there will be no more new chapters.** You have been warned. Spread the word!


	22. Chapter 21

Author's Note: Hey, guys! I'm posting again! Maybe you should read the latest and review, leave me some constructive comments! You are the gas for the car that is this story! Fill 'er up!

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character.

Part Two: Reptilia

Chapter Four

Ibis walked calmly forward into Cyclonis's crystal-mod chamber and stopped at a respectful distance, waiting to be addressed. The empress herself stood silently with her back to Ibis and before a complex machine that whirred and clicked as its many spindly arms moved back and forth. The smell of hot crystal energy was thick in the air, and Ibis allowed herself to breathe it in, taking some reassurance in the familiar scent. To be honest with herself, she mused as she waited, she was a little nervous about talking alone with Cyclonis. The older woman was intimidating enough with just her voice and her eyes, and Ibis didn't know how she would react to the news that Ibis brought. Ibis forced her nerves to steady; she could feel the cybernetics sparking underneath her skin, making her jumpier than she felt. Time slid away as she continued waiting and became a tad bored. Looking around the room didn't help; the walls were the same dull, unadorned black-gray as the rest of the official rooms and the only color in the room was Ibis herself and Cyclonis, though Cyclonis's robes were so dark and dull themselves that Ibis didn't want to count them as color. Ibis chastised herself for becoming inattentive and unwatchful, then reasoned that she was only so unsettled because she was eager to return to Bogaton and receive lessons from the only female lieutenant, Raheilae, on the Raptor's language.

Ever since she had heard Spitz whispering in that beautiful language almost a week ago, Ibis had strained to hear every scrap of it as it was spoken among the ranks. In the Academy, she had tried to learn different languages as part of her curriculum, but none of them stuck because Ibis lost interest with them so quickly. All of them had their own unique syntaxes and rules, but in Ibis's mouth, they had all fallen flat. Her classmates were fluid with the foreign words and the strange vowels and consonants sounded like music coming from their mouths, but Ibis couldn't produce the same effect herself, no matter the language. But the Raptor language resounded in Ibis's veins like a drumbeat would resound through someone's entire body. Her blood boiled with anticipation whenever she caught a snippet of foreign conversation, and she longed to join in. The sound of it made her see images of jungles and hunts behind her eyes that riled her up in the best way and made it difficult for her to sleep at night. Raheilae had noticed Ibis's distracted nature three days ago and asked about it. Ibis had confessed her interest, and Raheilae had suggested Ibis learn it from her. The two of them had been friendly before, but now they spent much more time together and were becoming fast friends. Ibis relished her friendship with Raheilae now that she and Xandra were so far apart. She had missed having a female friend.

"So good of you to come here on such short notice, my dear." Cyclonis turned and brought Ibis back to the present. Ibis bowed slightly in greeting. Cyclonis smiled warmly and gestured toward the door. The two of them walked out and down the empty hall in the direction of the briefing room. Two guards took their places outside the doors and stood at attention just as the doors closed, leaving Ibis and Cyclonis together once again. "I apologize for being so busy. An empire needs so much work, and I'm the only one who can do it." Cyclonis stood by the enormous table with Cyclonia's map spread out beneath the glass tabletop. "So tell me how your first mission went. I'm dying to know." Ibis shivered a little at the stress that Cyclonis put on the word _dying_, again thinking of the knife beneath the silk.

"We did as you ordered, Master Cyclonis, though I beseech you to listen for a moment. Although I was ready to carry out your orders to the letter, I felt a bit remorseful for the inhabitants that would lose their homes." Cyclonis looked up from the map and watched Ibis carefully. Not looking Cyclonis in the eye for fear that she would lose her nerve, Ibis came up to the map and pointed at the terra she had had to clear out and the one near it outside of Cyclonia that she had moved the people onto. "The one that you wanted is yours. It can be counted as Cyclonian territory. But I wondered what to do with the people themselves."

"I asked you to clear the terra out. I thought my instructions were understandable enough." The knife was barely pushing at the silk now.

Ibis drew a breath silently, looked Cyclonis in the eye, and continued, "Please understand, Master Cyclonis, that I did not intend to go against your command. The people who live there at this moment are now official Cyclonian citizens. I offered them a peaceful decision. Either they could stay and work under your rule with complete and unwavering loyalty to you and your cause, or they could pack what belongings they had and move just outside the border to a nearby terra with just as much to support them as the original one. Those that became part of your empire signed official papers, which I have here." Ibis handed Cyclonis the thick folder she carried and waited while Cyclonis peered cautiously through them.

"And why did you give them a choice, I wonder?" Cyclonis looked slightly confused, as if she didn't know where the conversation was going.

"I allowed them a choice because it felt a little too unfair to just kill them or snatch them all up and dump them elsewhere without a say in the matter." Ibis fell silent and let Cyclonis think. Her purple eyes roved over the map, then drifted back to the papers, and back again.

"Why?" Cyclonis looked truly stumped, and Ibis almost burst out laughing.

"I did it because I figured that it would benefit your empire more if you had more loyal citizens who bore you no ill will. I have dispatched a couple troops of low-ranking grunts to both terras and ordered them to help the people. The ones on your terra will help the citizens to adjust to life as Cyclonians and make it possible for them to be included wholly instead of being ignored and left to wither. The ones on the outside terra are to help the people get back on their feet and create a new village to live in, their chief duties being to build secure, lasting homes and protect them from any harm while they are without proper shelter. Once that is complete, both of my troops will send word and will be picked up to continue on Bogaton." Ibis stopped and let that sink in.

"How…how does this benefit my empire?"

"Think of it this way, Master. If I had killed the people and planted a Cyclonian flag and left, the relatives and friends of the dead would come and see the carnage and build up hatred against you and the empire. They would have one more reason to hate you and would garner the attention of the Sky Knights. More trouble for you, right? If I had left the people to be ignored and die even though they were citizens and given the rights of all Cyclonians, what would that look like to those who were considering becoming Cyclonians after that? It would show that you don't take care of those who chose your rule. It would deter them from you and you wouldn't gain any new followers. And I took care of those without your empire because I didn't give them a reason to say that we took their land from them and left them to die. You might want to project the image that your empire is ruthless and mean, but that doesn't mean that you have to be like that all the time. You catch more insects with nectar than with stinksap, milady. If we treat the outsiders well, they might eventually decide to become Cyclonians and you would have another terra without any effort. If they don't decide to become Cyclonians, then they are at least neutral because we treated them fairly instead of roughly."

Cyclonis considered that with an expression of consternation, then nodded slowly. "Are you sure that you want to be the commander of the Raptors, Miss Ibis?"

"Ma'am?"

"You could be an excellent advisor, Miss Ibis. I don't see why you would continue to run around with that rag-tag bunch when you could live so much better."

Ibis smiled and chuckled good-naturedly. "That's a wonderful offer, Master, but I'm happiest with the Raptors. I feel a part of them now. With all due respect, I'm sure I would be extremely bored as an advisor. I would prefer to run with my rag-tag bunch and have fun. But whenever you need me to give my opinion, I'd be happy to give it to you."

Cyclonis gave Ibis an appraising look before she decided that Ibis wasn't joking. "Very well. If you are comfortable among the lizards, such as they are, then you may stay with them." Cyclonis walked her to the door. "And please, my dear, if you have any suggestions, any at all, you may tell me. It's refreshing to have some new insight around here. All I have besides you is the sister and brother Ravess and Snipe, and the Dark Ace. You have yet to meet them, but you will soon. Things are becoming swiftly too much to handle at present, but I will have a meeting of the heads of our factions to discuss these matters, so don't get too busy. Since you've done a good job this time, I'm going to be putting you in charge of simple tasks for the time being, like what you've just done, maybe some retrieval missions. Do those quickly and efficiently and I'll give you better things to do as time goes on."

"Yes, Master Cyclonis."

"Oh, and one more thing, dear. In the future, I will be clearer about how I want things done. I appreciate what you've done for me, but I think I know how to run an empire better than you." Ibis nodded politely. "And don't go blabbing to everyone out there that I let you off the hook so easily. I have a reputation to keep. My brimstone and fire's what keeps all those meatheads in line." Cyclonis smiled genuinely, and for a moment, Ibis didn't see the ruler of an enormous empire, but a young woman who was chatting with her friend.

"I understand, Master. Thank you."

…

"Aah-sshnei."

"Aah-snei."

"No, no, aah-sshnei. There's a 'sh' sound in there. Do you remember what it means?" Raheilae polished her bronze spear as Ibis sat across from her and signed some paperwork. Raheilae was a very attractive older Raptress with dark green scales and dull golden tattoos embedded into her armored hide to match the symbols etched onto her weapon. If Ibis had to guess at her age, she would approximate her to be in her late thirties if she were human. With Raptors and their long lives, it was hard to figure an exact age in their own years. At a glance, she would have to say that Raheilae could very well be old enough to be Spitz's mother's age. She was certainly glad for the experienced woman's guidance, in any case.

"It is the word for the spirit of a living thing, creature, or plant."

"Good." Raheilae paused in her polishing and stared at her spear for a moment. "Sssskuk."

"Sssskuk."

"That means spear. It comes from the sound that a spear makes when it's thrown and it penetrates the enemy." The door to Ibis's chamber opened and Say'kar walked in carrying a tray with two plates of food on it. He set the tray on the table and said, "Miss Ibis, I have a note for you." He handed a small piece of paper to her. "From Lieutenant General Spitz." He bowed slightly and left the room with a curious expression on his face. As Ibis unfolded the note, she thought out loud.

"He's acting awfully strange lately. I wonder why." She felt Raheilae's eyes on her, and she looked up.

"It's because you've got the scent upon you, Ibis. He smells it. And from the looks on the other males' faces all over the compound, they smell it too. It's odd that you could attract so much attention. You're human; humans aren't supposed to leave the scent at all. It's a trait only reptiles have, and yours is stronger than normal."

"How can that be, that I have it?"

"Neither of your parents were reptiles, were they? Neither were any of your grandparents?" Ibis frowned and shook her head.

"If that were the case, I would be a pretty deformed creature, wouldn't I? I've never seen a child that's half-human and half of something else. Of course, that would go against the Species Laws." When Raheilae's expression became questioning, Ibis explained. "The Species Laws were created when other sentient, humanoid creatures like the Raptors and Blizzarians began to emerge from the wild and converse with humans after the War of the Ages. Part of the Laws has to do with their treatment as equals to humans; other parts have to do with the fact that humans and other humanoid creatures cannot breed. With Raptors, that's no big deal because mammals and reptiles can't breed together anyway, but there was almost another war when a Blizzarian and a human had an illegitimate child. The poor thing was such a mutant that it didn't live that long to begin with. It was forbidden for children to have parents of differing species after that. It was considered child cruelty."

"Mm." Raheilae nodded in understanding. "Then you are not half reptile. It is curious indeed that a human with no genetic reptile ties has a purely reptile trait…" She lowered her eyes back to her spear and began polishing it again. "So what does Lieutenant General Spitz have to say?" She sounded so interested and conspiratorial that Ibis lowered her own eyes and tried not to blush. In a fit of love-sickness the other day, she had written him a note and given it to Say'kar to deliver. Since then, they had been exchanging notes of this nature when they could not be together. They only had one day off a week to see each other, and Ibis had noticed that she felt pangs akin to hunger when she couldn't see him, speak with him, hold him. She knew that if Xandra were here, she would be telling Ibis that they were acting so disgustingly sweet that it was giving her a toothache. She read the note and felt a flutter in her ribcage at his words, and couldn't stop the feminine sigh that escaped her.

Raheilae laughed, her low, rich voice resounding in the room. "I've never had a male pursue and woo me to a point that I've felt like sighing like _that_! You two must be serious." Ibis blushed harder at her friend's words and read over the note again to savor the feeling it gave her. "And from what I've seen, I don't blame you." Ibis looked up from the paper angrily at Raheilae, her eyes narrowing possessively. Raheilae held her hands up defensively in response. "Calm yourself, Ibis; I meant no harm. I simply mean that he has grown much more attractive since the two of you started this little courtship. If I could find an unmated male in similar shape as him, I would pounce on him without hesitation, but Lieutenant General Spitz is not of my tastes."

Ibis grunted passively and folded the letter gently into her pocket. She picked up her pen once again and gestured at Raheilae to continue the lesson. Raheilae paused in consideration. "Ah, if I may, Ibis?" Ibis looked up from her work. "You seem to be a bit tense. It can't be just from my comments, can it?"

Ibis ran a hand through her hair as she thought. "No, it isn't. But it's nothing you need to worry about, my friend."

"A burden shared is a burden lightened, Ibis. If you ask me of my opinion, I will tell you that taking on all these responsibilities can be wearying for one so young. It takes its toll slowly but surely." Ibis didn't meet her gaze, so Raheilae continued on a path that her commander might pay attention to. "It could drain you of all passion for your life and its workings. Say that Lieutenant General Spitz came to your chambers one night and you did not have the energy to lay with him." Raheilae smiled slightly as she saw Ibis's cheeks redden in response.

"Fine, I'll tell you. I….you don't think any of the other females here are after Spitz…do you?" She looked up meekly at her friend, but Raheilae was not fooled.

"I do not believe that the Great and Mighty Commander Ibis has any doubts about the attentions of her pursuer. I would think that you have all the other women here in line. If one so much as glanced in his general direction, you would fling her bodily off the terra yourself," the older female teased. Ibis snorted softly at her tone. "Now, be serious. What has you so worried?"She picked up her small bottle of polish and dipped her rag into it.

"Fine, I will tell you. But what I say does not leave this room, understand?"

"Completely."

Ibis set her pen down again and laid her head in her hands. "Master Cyclonis has me worried. I made my report to her last week and, although I thoroughly explained to her that she was benefitting from my decision, she still reprimanded me for going against her orders. She told me that she would be clearer in the future."

"And?"

"And that means that if she outright tells me to kill someone, I _have _to kill that person, no matter what they've done to me." Ibis was aware that Raheilae knew exactly what she meant. She hadn't divulged the secret of the bartender's murder to her, but Raheilae knew enough to understand that Ibis followed the Raptor code of ethics. She knew how much it bothered Ibis to harm another without just cause.

Raheilae was silent for a moment, considering her commander's words with her spear lowered and polishing rag motionless. She looked uneasy when she spoke again. "You could always…say that you were to do what she said, then not do it as she says to."

Ibis slid her hands from her face and combed her hair with her fingers, her nervous habit resurfacing with her doubts. "You mean I could lie and do it my way?"

"Yes, but it would not be entirely intelligent to do so. I do not see eye to eye with Master Cyclonis's plans and actions, but I still know that crossing her to support my own beliefs is not the way to go if I intend to live longer." Raheilae looked down at her spear to avoid Ibis's eyes.

Ibis pretended not to hear that. She had always been rigid about her beliefs, and she wasn't about to cower before Cyclonis. Doing so would mean fearing her and therefore giving Cyclonis power over her. As much as she respected the older woman, Ibis could not give her the power to bend her to her will. She would stick with her own way of handling things, damn it, even though she was pretty sure that if Cyclonis ever found out about it she would bring Ibis to her knees. Her confident words to Spitz about being indispensible weren't as true as she'd have liked. She had been bluffing, but she knew that it was at least a half-truth at best, so it wasn't like she had lied outright to him. "I'll do it. And if she demands a head…well, I'll find a way to get around that fairly enough." She slapped on a grin that was more than a little fake and rubbed her hands together. "Now, let's get back to work, shall we? I've got to have these forms done by tomorrow morning and I'd love it if I could form a semi-coherent sentence in the native tongue by then as well." And with that, she bent over her papers with a purposeful vigor.

Raheilae now watched her apprehensively from the corner of her eye; she could see the barely disguised tension in Ibis's posture. The older woman could conceive an understanding of Ibis's turmoil, but knew that she could only go so far with her suggestions. Whatever her commander decided to do, she would do with or without anyone's help. She only hoped that, whatever choice she settled on, it would be one that ended with them all whole.


	23. Chapter 22

Author's Note: Posting again. The general style and direction of this chapter is kind of like that hiatus I took between the last and this one. Just couldn't remember where I was originally going with the end of P2 C4, so I decided to forgo all the details and just sum it all up. I have a point I'm determined to get to with later chapters; I'd like to do it in good time. Keep up the comments, please and thank you!

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, Ibis.

Part Two: Reptilia

Chapter Five

Months passed without too much incident that winter as the Raptor Rogues and their commander fell into an easy pattern of activity; Ibis kept the grunts busy with more advanced forms of self-defense and attack, and Raheilae kept Ibis busy with learning the Raptor tongue. As her troops' abilities expanded, so did her vocabulary. Soon her charges could move as swiftly and quietly as if they were buoyed up by the wind itself, their aim was superb as they hit targets hundreds of feet away with unfailing accuracy and speed, and they quickly became impressive allies in Cyclonis's empire. Ibis was proud of their work, proud of their swelling self-esteem as a whole, and the best part, she thought to herself often, was that they all got along much better. It was as if they had finally found the home they had been looking for when they first came to Terra Bogaton all those years ago. Hoerk and Leugey were becoming popular fast among their subordinates, and even Repton was gaining a little friendly respect as he learned that bullying wasn't the way to get good results. His temper had cooled considerably, and Ibis could breathe easily now. But the most dramatic change in his attitude was his grudging acceptance of Ibis as commander. He conceded that she was making considerable progress where he could not have.

As for her speech lessons, she proved to be a slow but determined student. Her understanding of the Raptor language (or Dracish, as Raheilae revealed) came to include simple directions, answers, and objects such as body parts and items around a room. She had also begun learning the names of creatures and plants in the tongue; Ibis took pride in taking the cooks by surprise one evening when she asked them for seconds of the meal that night in their native speech. She had practiced the phrase diligently for many days so she could sound fluent enough. She had told no one, not even Spitz, of her lessons, so when she hissed out the words, "_Excuse me, Chef Esspero, could I please have some more?_" the head cook nearly gave himself whiplash doing a double-take. The ensuing silence from the people around her drew attention from those not within earshot, and soon everyone in the galley was staring at her, either wondering if they had heard right or wondering what was happening. Ibis just smiled as he numbly refilled her plate and handed it back to her, then kept her eyes averted as she walked back to sit next to Spitz at their usual table. He had raised a scaly brow ridge at her and it took great effort for Ibis not to say anything or look at him. She just swallowed her smile and started eating her extra portion as if nothing had happened.

Her relationship with Spitz had not faltered in the least. In fact, it flourished. They tried hard to see each other for a few minutes alone almost every day after Ibis had spoken with Cyclonis in her briefing room, but as time progressed, their schedules became more and more hectic. Ibis knew she was deliberately making it so because she wanted Cyclonis to see that she was working hard to follow orders and keep her satisfied. As time passed, Spitz became impatient to see his love and eventually took to sleeping in her quarters with her at night, though each night passed without too much exploration between them as Ibis was sometimes so tired at the end of each day that she often slept in her new Cyclonian commander's uniform. She explained why she had been running everyone ragged, and Spitz understood; he was still apprehensive about her going against Cyclonis's orders the first time, not to mention her confession that she was going to keep doing things her way if she had to. On those nights when she fell asleep in her uniform and Spitz knew that she had worn herself out keeping up appearances, he carefully (and with large amounts of self control) undressed her and tucked her under the sheets with him. Though the physical temptation of seeing her bared before him and the feel of her body against his was great, he kept his hands to himself until morning when she woke up and snuggled against him. Then he felt lucky, because he had her to himself for a short while and some mornings she even surprised him, waking him up by peppering kisses along his neck and shoulders and running her hands over his scales. Despite their limited time together, the more he saw her and the more she smiled, the more he fell in love with her all over again. And Ibis's feelings for him hadn't waned a bit. She always found herself looking for him in a crowd, always waiting to hear his voice, always craving his presence. And she couldn't help showering him with her affections; the happier she felt around him, the more he smiled and laughed, and she became all the happier for every grin and chuckle. She couldn't remember ever being this happy, and when she once confided this to Spitz, and realized that he felt the same, Ibis felt awash with something she couldn't help labeling as pure joy.

Word spread quickly among the ranks that Lieutenant General Spitz and Commander Ibis could be courting, especially once Say'kar had made friends with other young males. They had taken to discussing more adult subjects as they matured, so it was no surprise that the topic of courting came up, and the topic of who was interested in whom. One topic in relation to courting was the strange phenomenon that was the scent attached to Commander Ibis, which all the males within mating age were more or less aware of. It was confusing, to put it lightly, but no one dared venture forth and actually ask their leader about it for fear that the male courting her would take it as a challenge; none of them were really interested in her, and so their curiosity was not worth getting a beating for. Besides, there were females of mating age among their ranks, and no sooner had the topic come than it had quickly gone as more interesting things took up the grunts' attentions.

With the growing infamy of the Raptor Rogues, Ibis was called to the main Cyclonian base more and more often. She found that Cyclonis really did seek her advice, and she did her best to influence the Empress into a more peaceful, tolerant way of conducting her empire and army, though Cyclonis still had other influences to draw upon. These influences had names and faces, which Ibis quickly learned as she met them: the siblings Snipe and Ravess, and the famous and deadly Dark Ace. A shiver of dread crawled down her spine when she met these people, although she knew that she was now one of them, and would not be targeted by them. Snipe appeared to be slightly smitten with Ibis upon meeting her, and although he was charming in a dull-witted way, she did not encourage him other than a kind word or gesture to include him in the conversation. Ravess struck Ibis as cold and calculating and so Ibis kept her distance from her as much as she could; the two of them were virtually polar opposites, and could see nothing eye to eye until Ravess became bored during a lunch meeting one day and began tuning her precious violin at the table. Ibis watched her with interest and asked her if she would indulge her with a song. Ravess warmed considerably when she obliged Ibis and received ample and genuine praise from the younger woman. Despite the friendliness of that particular exchange, Ravess still rubbed Ibis the wrong way without intending to, which led to only the proper amount of civility and consideration on Ibis's part.

The Dark Ace, however, was not to be charmed by Ibis, try as she might to make him less hostile towards her. He frequently made comments about her suspicious rise in rank and her constant friendly attitude, saying that she could turn on them all at any moment and that she was playing Cyclonis right into her palm. Ibis always brushed his words off with ease, and once Cyclonis herself quieted Dark Ace in the middle of another of his tirades, Ibis knew that she was once again out of the public focus. He never brought the subject up again, but he always made the time and effort to make her as uncomfortable as he possibly could without causing a scene or drawing attention from any of the Raptor brothers that accompanied her on these visits. Ibis didn't trust the Dark Ace any more than she could throw him, but she remained civil and polite as often as she could. She also knew that her lack of heat towards him irritated him and only made him more loathing of her, so she just kept her head down as well as possible and refrained from trying to influence Cyclonis around him. At a particularly tense meeting during which Cyclonis was debating a plan to crash the annual Atmosian Gala (as was the tradition, hosted on Terra Rex at the beginning of summer) and when she brought up the notion of allowing the newest commander to try her luck under pressure of a large crowd of her former peers, Dark Ace endorsed it wholly with a most unpleasant grin on his sharply angled face. He longed to see Ibis fail and flounder and she knew it, but she held herself together and showed no sign of anxiety. She accepted Cyclonis's proposition without flinching and couldn't help nodding politely in the Dark Ace's direction as he grumbled beneath his breath.

Ibis could tell that Cyclonis was looking forward to seeing her newest subordinate's results from this difficult venture; over the several weeks preceding the night of the Gala, Ibis found herself staying in the guest rooms of Cyclonis's home more and more often as she and her Empress stayed up discussing routes, entries, and tactics until the sky began to lighten most nights. The Atmosian Gala was the most heavily guarded event of the year, as it was frequented by the wealthiest, most famous politicians, families, and leaders in all of Atmos, and any Sky Knights still in commission were always invited without restriction, along with their squadrons, for the protection of such important individuals. There was dancing, music, art gallery tours, gardens full of flora and fauna, gourmet food prepared by the most renowned chefs, and the highlight of the night was promised to be the vastest collection of rare and powerful crystals on Atmos. The plan, eventually decided upon by Cyclonis in a sleep-deprived state, was to have Ibis and a few choice Raptors of her choosing go to the Gala and bring back a floor plan along with deftly finding out what the normal amount of security would be on any other day, as the night of the Gala, the building would be stuffed to the rafters with Sky Knights of renown and all sorts of brawny henchmen. As much as Master Cyclonis wanted the collection for herself, she wasn't one to just bust in and start an outright war with the Atmosians just for some glowing rocks. The way to get it done was with stealth and intelligence, and they would have to strike when the guards were least expecting a raid.

"But Master Cyclonis, if I'm to bring my Raptors along, won't the Sky Knights notice if a few of them are skulking around? The only Raptors outside of the Rogues are in the jungles of Terra Amazonia, and they never leave their home. Surely we would look quite suspicious," Ibis asked of her leader one night a full three weeks ahead of the Gala.

"Yes, of course you would, my dear, which is why I've secured both a way to get you in and a disguise for you all." Cyclonis smiled darkly and turned on her heel, beckoning for Ibis to follow. They came to Cyclonis's crystal modification chamber, with its great, hulking, spider-armed machine. There was a large steamer trunk sitting against a wall away from the machine, being guarded by a low-level Talon who saluted them upon entry. "I realize that you won't be invited to this soiree on your own, as you say that you are reported to be missing in action and very likely deemed as a deserter if you are found alive. And I can't have my prize fighter being assailed by all the Sky Knights in the Atmos if she does show up, can I?" She unlocked the trunk and flipped open the lid, revealing a good deal of leather and crude metal. When she chose a piece and held it up, Ibis instantly understood the items to be antique tribal clothing, either left over from when Repton and his refugees first arrived on Terra Bogaton, or stolen from the original tribes themselves. Cyclonis explained that she wanted Ibis to dress as Raptor dignitaries and demand entry on the grounds that they finally wanted a say in Atmosian politics. Although she found that lying and putting the real tribes in danger of being bothered was not a very wholesome idea, Ibis could not refuse as she couldn't think of a better lie to come up with. She and Cyclonis looked through the clothing together, determining what would look most grand for the occasion. Finding nothing that looked appropriate, Ibis came up with an idea.

"Master, I don't suppose I could suggest something?" Ibis gently set the antique leather down into the chest again.

"Go ahead, my dear."

"I have a feeling these articles won't look convincing enough. Perhaps I could ask the older members among my Rogues if they remember what their elders wore to important ceremonies, and then we could work to recreate them." She could only imagine what they might look like, and she could hardly wait to see how they could be made.

Cyclonis considered for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose you are right yet again, Ibis. And while you are asking them, perhaps you could also have them teach you their tongue. It wouldn't do to have a leader of the Amazonian Raptor tribes unable to speak the language."

Ibis allowed herself a small smile before she began speaking in Dracish in reply to Cyclonis's command, "_I am already ahead of you, Master. They have been teaching me for months._" Cyclonis's eyes widened at the sudden change in language and the fluency with which Ibis was using it. Then she herself broke out in a smile.

"That is most excellent, Ibis! I knew it was a good decision to keep you on. To the abyss with the Dark Ace and his talk of underhandedness, you are the most prepared commander I've ever had to date! I don't suppose you know how to fake an accented Atmosian tongue with that?"

"I can certainly try, Master."

"Also, I have something for you alone." Cyclonis stood and walked to the machine, where a strange looking crystal sat in the claws. It looked like a Chroma crystal, but on a normal one, it would have black, dull stone with deep red veins of crystal shining through from underneath. This one looked similar, but the stone looked slick like oil, and the crystal underneath was a pulsing purple. "I've been working on this special Chroma crystal for you. A normal one would allow you to change a few things about yourself, such as your hair or eye color, or the shade of your skin. But this one allows you to change everything, and feel real too. I was hoping to have you try it to see if you can help me work the bugs out. But hopefully I've done it right." She slipped on a glove over her long, thin fingers and gently plucked the crystal from its seat.

Cyclonis had Ibis follow her out of the crystal-mod chamber and into the nearby guest room that Ibis had been staying in. Once the doors were shut, she instructed Ibis to remove her uniform down to her underclothes. Then she handed Ibis the modified Chroma, who immediately felt a funny tingle all over her body. She watched the hand that held the crystal, watched her bare legs as her tanned, vulnerable mammalian skin was replaced with dusky green scales. Her fingers and toes changed shape and number, and she heard a rip as the ghost of a tail grew from her tailbone, ripping her underwear, and swayed behind her. Her vision blurred, her cheeks itched, and her hair rippled and became the thick ropes of spines that Raptor women gained upon their heads. She waited until the effects wore off and then stepped toward the full-length mirror in the corner beside the wardrobe.

The wizened female Raptor that stared back at her had sun-bleached scales and pouches under her sharp yellow eyes, which had pupils shaped like grains of rice. Her bra now looked ridiculous against her chest, as it had nothing to fill it. Her chest and abdomen plating were smooth and without creases or scars, and her cranial spines, colored like a dying fern, reached her waist. Her skin, though armored well, hung on her skeleton like a wet garment, but she didn't look weak; taut, lean muscles were laid out underneath and spoke of years of hunting. She looked old, decades older than Raheilae, and the sight of Ibis's changed reflection was so real she placed a hand on her cheek and felt the scales there with roughened fingertips. The old Raptress gaped at herself in the mirror until Cyclonis cleared her throat. Ibis turned and smiled a little sheepishly. "Master, it's…perfect. How did you manage it?"

"I'm one of the only crystal experts in the entire Atmos, that's how."

"Oh, Master…" Ibis trailed off and examined herself again. Cyclonis stepped forward and, still smiling from the exchange, gently pried the crystal from Ibis's fingers. Ibis didn't resist but couldn't help watching her appearance return to normal with a sad pit forming in her stomach. She knew that the only way she could see herself like that again was to use her cybernetics to create a false image over her skin, as she had on the Condor so long ago, but it wasn't at all the same and would only make her crave the real thing more.

"I'll hang on to this until the night before. I need to add a few things that should make it look better. All you need to is practice your accent, my dear. And don't forget those costumes." Ibis nodded and began to dress once again, but as she looked at her familiar skin, tanned from working out in the sun of Bogaton for months, she felt that pit grow larger.

That morning, before the sun rose, as she returned to Terra Bogaton for the first time in days, she allowed herself a moment with Spitz, his brothers, and Raheilae in the now barely-used throne room that Repton had been so fond of. The throne itself had been removed, but the chains above with his collection of shields still remained up on the wall. The open room let in the humid night wind from outside, bringing in the feral smell of summer evenings. Ibis took a whiff and immediately felt an urge to tear her clothes off and streak through the jungle. Summer night air always made her feel alive. They all settled on the floor together, Repton occasionally glancing at the bare spot where his favorite perch used to sit.

"Master Cyclonis has asked an important task of us. She wishes for us to attend the annual Atmosian Gala and create a floor plan and the amount of guard the place has on a normal day so she can have the Dark Ace break in with little trouble and take what she wants."

"And how exactly will she have us do that? We have no invitations, and if we did they would have to be stolen from someone who has some, most likely with their names on them." Raheilae sounded a little doubtful of the idea.

"She intends to have us in disguise as Amazonian Raptor delegates that wish to immerse themselves and their tribes in Atmosian politics. In relation to that, she has asked me to find out from those of you who remember what traditional Raptor garb looks like, something that would look important enough to be worn to the Gala." They all took a moment to reflect on that, but Raheilae volunteered to have some ideas sketched out and made from fresh leather. "Thank you, my friend. Your help is greatly appreciated."

"Also, I can only take so many of you. I would rather not have all of my lieutenants away from Bogaton in case of an emergency. I believe that the Storm Hawks, along with several other squadrons who would recognize a few of you, so I'd like you to figure out who's coming and who's not." She rubbed a hand over her weary face, hoping that this wouldn't take long; she was so tired…

Finally it was decided that Hoerk, Raheilae, and Spitz would accompany her. Hoerk and Raheilae she didn't mind, but she argued with Spitz a little because if he left with them, the entire company would only have two lieutenants to keep order; his point was that Repton was more than commanding enough to keep the peace in his place, and that leaders among the Raptors always had at least three acolytes present during a ceremony. She decided to concede on the grounds that they all agreed on those points and she didn't want to draw this meeting out any longer (and she knew that Spitz would not contest the fact that he was not letting her out of his sight when she could very well be in danger). Her eyelids were drooping fast. Finally the six of them called it a night and separated to their individual rooms with the exception of Spitz and Ibis.

When Ibis woke up the next day a few hours before the sun rose to the highest point in the sky, she knew immediately that she wanted to do absolutely nothing all day. She had been working straight through most nights for several weeks, and from the time she rose to the time she fell asleep, she had been signing things, radioing in with the brothers to answer questions and give orders, practicing her Dracish in private (which was much harder to do when she was pressed for time and alone), and meeting with Cyclonis and her other commanders. She had had enough of working and just wanted some time to herself.

She quietly pushed herself out of bed, trying hard not to jiggle the mattress as Spitz was still sleeping, and crossed the room to the one large window. She pulled the curtains closed, blocking most of the afternoon light, and then quietly announced over the intercom system that she was allowing the company a free day, and leaned out the door of her chamber to ask the guard stationed there to please bring some breakfast for two up, and then retire to whatever she pleased. As she closed the door, she heard Spitz roll over on the bed and she felt his eyes on her.

"Good morning, lazy lizard," Ibis softly sang as he stretched languidly. She watched his long limbs reach out in all directions, his tail curling almost all the way back in a half-circle to touch his spine. When he started to get out of bed, she added, "Free day today." He closed his eyes immediately upon hearing that and slumped back under the covers. "Does that sound good?" A muffled grunt answered her. She started to follow him under the sheets, but the sound of breakfast trays out in the corridor made her go back and receive them. The smell of cooked meat and toasted bread brought Spitz's head out from under his pillow, and the rest of him soon followed when Ibis wagged a piece of meat at him.

After they had eaten, they sent the plates back down with a passing guard and settled together under the blankets. Feeling refreshed, Ibis couldn't go back to sleep; instead she traced the scales and plating on Spitz's chest and began dwelling on the vision of herself as a Raptress. She hadn't told him or the others about the modified Chroma crystal or what she had seen. She had to admit to herself that she was a little embarrassed by the fact that she wanted to see herself covered in scales again, wanted to be something other than what she was. She knew it was impossible to go from being a human to being a Raptor, and the childlike notion that she held made her feel young, younger than she had ever felt. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, not for someone who had killed a man, gone through higher education, and was pursuing a relationship with someone of a different species who was almost forty years her senior.

Spitz could sense her unease. He cracked open an eye and tried reading her expression, but found that he had no words to connect with what he saw. He tried asking instead, "What'th wrong?" She glanced up at him, then looked back down, suddenly finding the words she wanted to share stuck in her throat. She remembered Raheilae telling her that a burden shared was a burden lightened, but she thought that this one wish of hers was so ridiculous that Spitz could stop thinking of her as worthy of his attentions; he would see her as nothing more than a child…

"Ibith? Pleathe tell me what'th bothering you." He rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around her, pressed his forehead to hers and looked her in the eye. Ibis stayed silent for a while, trying to figure out how she was going to tell him despite the fact that she didn't want to. He didn't say anything else, knowing that she was struggling with something. When she did speak, she buried her face against his chest so she wouldn't have to feel the shame of admitting her problems to his face. She told him about the Chroma crystal and how she had felt when Cyclonis had taken it away. Spitz took in every word, she was sure, and that gave her hope to continue.

"I know it seems silly, but…I've always thought differently than humans, I've never met anyone who sees things like I do. Not until you. But even here, where my morals are accepted and I have friends, I'm still different because I see my unarmored skin beside your scales…I can't win no matter where I go or what I do." She burrowed her head further down under the covers as she spoke. Suddenly the doubts she hadn't felt since she was young came flooding out. "For a moment, I held that Chroma crystal and I felt like I was finally complete, like I finally belonged somewhere. I saw the person I wanted to be, but no matter what I do I will never be that woman. I never can be. And I…I'm tired of not feeling good enough, I'm tired of feeling weak and…ugly." Her voice broke at the end and she could feel tears prickling at the edges of her eyes. She didn't register the stiffening of Spitz's body against hers. "I'll never be as beautiful as Raheilae, or any other Raptress."

As she tried to hold back her tears, Spitz's arms circled around her even tighter, pulling her closer against him. Her forehead was pressed so closely to his chest that she couldn't look up, and as he began a low, threatening growl that almost made her face vibrate, she realized she didn't want to look up even if she could. Her tears faded away, chased by fear. Why was he so angry?

"Never thay that again," he rumbled into her hair. Then he moved so suddenly that she didn't register what had happened until she lay against the pillows and the sheets had been tossed on the floor. Spitz hovered over her, and his eyes were angled dangerously at her. A shiver went down her spine from his expression, but she wasn't sure if it was a shiver of dread or something else.

"I…I can't help how I feel, Spitz. I doubt I could change that." His eyes roved over her and for the first time since she had met him, she felt misshapen and deformed and she hoped that he would stop scrutinizing her and examining every last flaw.

"Well, then, why don't you let me try to change how you feel?" His voice was low and rough, and despite her misgivings about her appearance and worth, she felt her body begin to warm with arousal from his tone. Just as she was about to ask what he meant, one of his hands slid into her hair and his mouth pressed against hers hungrily.


	24. Chapter 23

Author's Note: Comments. Lots of them. With details. Thank you muchly.

Disclaimer: Storm Hawks and all characters belong to Nerd Corps Studios and Cartoon Network. I own the main character, Ibis.

Part Two: Reptilia

Chapter Six

Ibis didn't know what to think. He was angry, and he was kissing her? How in Atmos did that work? And what had he meant by "letting him try to change" her opinion of herself? She was sure that no one could change her mind; she felt so unworthy of any attention. But the familiar sensation of his lips on hers was a hard thing to ignore, and she soon closed her eyes and enjoyed it. Her arms went up and lay on his bare shoulders, bringing him closer.

Once Spitz felt her relax underneath him, he pulled away. He still looked livid. "Now, why do you think you're ugly?" He pushed his fingers deeper into her hair and gently bent her head back, leaving her throat exposed. "I'm a full-blooded male Raptor; I've been exthpothed to femaleth of my kind theveral timeth, and I've never wanted a thingle one." As if it could illustrate his point, his tongue slithered between the points of his teeth and trailed over the sensitive skin below her chin and ear. She watched it with her heart pounding; she had never had cause to dwell on how long Raptor tongues could get, but now she could think of nothing else as he dipped the forked tip into the hollow at the junction of her collarbones without moving his head a centimeter. He pulled his tongue back into his mouth slowly, fully aware that she was watching it and would have to focus back on his face again. Once she did, her heart not only pounded, but began fluttering like a trapped bird. The anger he surely felt was mixed with lust; she could see both, and she wasn't sure which one made her the most apprehensive.

"Do you know why?" The sound of his voice nearly turned her insides into pudding…but she collected her thoughts enough to respond.

"Their hips weren't wide enough to pass eggs properly?" Spitz lifted a corner of his mouth in a slight sneer as an answer. "Um…their scales weren't healthy-looking?" As if coming up with legitimate answers wasn't enough of a trial, Spitz decided he was going to methodically rip her nightshirt down the middle with a foreclaw. It was most distracting and made her thoughts jumble up again as her breasts were exposed to the cool air of her bedroom. Spitz watched her nipples harden with his eyes half lidded with desire and then snapped his gaze up to her, as if to make her continue looking for answers. "Ah…uh," she paused to swallow, "I'm n-not entirely sure. Because…"

"Becauthe none of them wath my lifemate," he finished for her. "Our goddeth Ithmotha showth uth the way to our lifemateth. We don't jutht choothe a woman at random; she ith chothen for uth and prethented in a thign. You were the only one who found me; I surely would have lotht my grip and died if you hadn't thaved me in the gorge cave. I believe that our goddeth gave you light tho you could find your way to me, and she brought you on the path to the shadow crythtal becauthe I wath there." The hand in her hair relaxed its grip and trailed down her throat to her shoulder, pushing her torn nightshirt away while cutting the sleeves open. It fell away from her body completely. Meanwhile, Ibis began to make quick-fire connections: Issmosa? She remembered that Issmosa was her patron saint; the strong pull of curiosity that day that had preceded the journey into the cave had been all her doing, if Ibis was indeed Spitz's lifemate.

"But…but I thought lifemates were brought together to produce children. They would be good matches, and would have healthy offspring." Spitz smoothed a rough hand over her chest, softly squeezing her breast just as he knew she liked it. He shook his head and some of the anger drained from his eyes, although the lust remained.

"Ithmotha knowth that not everyone needth to have hatchlingth. Thome that do not are thaid to be dethtined for greater purpotheth than child-raithing. She putth one and one together to create an everlathting bond, one that benefitth both in the union." His fingers pinched her nipple gently, lending just enough tightness to it to pull a pleasurable gasp from her. "I believe that I needed your influenthe to become more tolerant and loving." This time, he leaned his head down and wrapped his lips around the tip of her breast, something he had never done before. His long wet tongue stroked over her skin in a flourishing circle that ended with the tip flicking the point of her nipple. The curious sensations made a tingle spiral down her spine and arch her back against him. "But Ithmotha knowth that we aren't creatureth of purpothe all the time; she knowth that we need happineth ath well. She knew that you would make me happy by acthepting me, banishment, bad temper, brotherth and all."

"Don't forget your lisp," she joked lightly.

"That too."

"And I?" His tongue ran along the underside of her breast, tickling and sending more shivers down her spine.

"What do you think she wanted you to have?" Here, Spitz stopped his teasing and watched her.

"I know that I feel at home here. I found like-minded people to share my life with. I've found community when before I almost had none." Spitz nodded and gave her a look that suggested she continue. "And she showed me that I needed you to love, I needed someone to understand what I knew and accept me for all I was." When she said that, she knew that she meant the quirks and misgivings she had about morality, the Raptor morality itself, but Spitz turned it on her.

"Ithmotha knew that you needed thomeone to acthept you for everything that you are, and here you thit thaying you feel ugly and weak." The anger returned, burning a good deal of his lust away. "When half the company of Raptorth here are femaleth and I could have my choithe of them, I could have any one of them and they would comply and let me do ath I pleathed, even when I knew you were my lifemate I could have thatithfied my needth with one of them. It'th not unheard of." An icy hand clenched around Ibis's heart at the thought of Spitz doing just that with one of the younger females on Bogaton, even several of them, and she felt some jealous anger of her own well up to burn away the icy hand of dread. Her heart beat faster as adrenaline shot through it. She began to speak, but Spitz was not finished. "I can have any one, but I choothe you even when you act awkward and virginal and hethitant, when I could have it tho eathily elthewhere. And you're ugly?" She began to raise a fist to push him off and find whatever females he had been seeing, but he caught it at the wrist and pushed it back down to the mattress above her head.

"I thtay with you becauthe I _love_ you, becauthe you are beautiful to me, becauthe you are the commander of all thethe people and you've never onthe raised a hand to them to keep the peathe or get them to do thomething. They rethpect you and thee you ath their true leader." Ibis's other hand shot out, but he caught that one too, planting it beside its twin. His voice grew louder as he became more irritated. "You don't need brute thtrength to do the right thing or get anything done; you deliberately dithobeyed Thyclonith'th orderth by not killing innothent people and turned it around and made it look good tho she wouldn't hurt you! And you're weak?" Her legs moved next, but he already had her pinned. His hips pressed down on hers, and his legs crossed over hers, making it impossible to move save for wriggling back and forth underneath him. "Ithmotha knew you needed thomeone to underthtand you. Don't I? Ibith, you don't need thcaleth and a tail to be beautiful and thtrong; _you already are_!" He roared the last, shocking Ibis into stillness. She drank in his words numbly. A Raptor was telling her she was beautiful without scales?

"Ithmotha gave me to you tho you could have thomeone who could thee patht your outer partth and know that any beauty worth having ith the beauty that cometh from inthide, thomeone who already knew what it wath like to feel outcatht and ashamed of themthelveth but who hadn't given up on finding love dethpite that. Thtop trying to be like the Raptor women and thtart being the woman I love, Ibith. Your thkin ithn't unattractive, it's a new, enjoyable challenge. Your lack of a tail ithn't a deformity; I'm not thtupid, I know you can't grow a tail any more than I could grow another one if I cut mine off." He released her hands and cupped her face to make her look at him, not caring if her warm salty tears ran over his fingers. He also freed her legs, choosing instead to lie between them. He had already spent his anger; now he just whispered to her.

"I love you and only you. I want you, I have wanted you, and no one elthe. I make you happy, don't I?" She closed her eyes tightly, pushing more tears out, and nodded. "Then don't doubt yourthelf. There'th no reathon to. I would rather have you thith way than any other way. There are more formth of beauty than the oneth our culture thayth there are. And I'm lucky to have one form right here with me." He paused for a moment to consider the fact that she was lying with him. He'd almost forgotten that she was bared to him. "Naked," he added. "And all to mythelf." His desire returned, especially once he was reminded of her legs spread around his hips.

"Raptorth aren't thuppothed to want to mate with humanth, but if I do, doeth that make me a pervert?" he wondered aloud with a growing smirk, all seriousness forgotten. His eyes glowed mischievously in the half-light as his snaky tongue came out and flicked her nipple again.

"N-no, it makes you a wonderful person," Ibis said. Then she saw his smile and shivered at the sight of his long, forked tongue coming between his teeth again. "But, yes, I would say you're a little perverted," she concluded breathlessly with a smile of her own.

"A little? No, I'm worthe than that." He slid down her body slowly, planting kisses over her sternum and abdomen as he went. Then, in a fit of pure amusement and lust, he reached down with both hands, one grabbing the edge of her panties and the other holding her hips down, and ripped her underwear clean off. Ibis gaped, caught unawares and wondering where he could possibly be going with that.

"Fine, I take it back. You're a total pervert," she accused as he shook the remaining threads of her underwear off his fingers.

"Hmmm?" He murmured with a full-blown grin as he started kissing her naked hip bones and bending her legs up. Her feet soon rested on either side of his shoulders, and she was fully aware that he was so close to her bare center. He began flicking his tongue over her inner thighs, hardly tickling her but making her pant slightly. Now she had a vague idea of what he was thinking of doing, and wasn't sure if she wanted that or not, but she hardly had the mental capacity to stop him now.

He lowered his mouth to her and closed his eyes.

At first, Ibis wasn't sure she could feel anything, but then the tiniest tickling sensation traced over her folds. The ends of his tongue were running the length of them, from top to bottom and back again. Fires built up in her belly as he continued the action, barely touching her each time. With every pass near the top of her seam, he moved the forked tip closer to her clitoris but denied her the satisfaction of having it stimulated. Within a minute she was whimpering under her breath, and he moved his tongue around her clit in a circle but never pressed directly on it. He knew that she had been expecting him to, and her frustrated growl and fisted hand in the bedclothes made him smirk.

"You're so mean. I didn't play around with you like this…" Her soft, pleading voice nearly drove him mad, and he couldn't help doing better for her. She was right, she hadn't played around; she had gotten right to the point. He doubled his efforts, adding more pressure as he licked up and down, and was rewarded for his efforts. Her whimpers turned to sighs and gasps, and her thighs naturally fell apart to either side of his head. With her center more exposed, he decided to give her what she wanted; he experimentally pressed his lips around her clit and gave it a slow, gentle suck. Her reaction was instantaneous: she let out a sharp moan and slid her fingers into his cranial spikes. He peeked up at her as he repeated his action several times, and felt his cold blood heat up under his scales. Although it was nearly black in the room, his night vision allowed him to see every detail; her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were scrunched up in a pleading expression, her teeth sank into her lip and released it to let by another moan, her back arched, and her hand pressed him subtly closer to her.

The most beautiful and pleasurable sensations built up the highest fires in her belly as Spitz stopped sucking her clit and ran the flat of his tongue in a circle over it over and over. Ibis hadn't ever felt something so wonderful as this. She couldn't help the moans that spilt from her lips as he lapped at her and squeezed what he could reach of her bottom. She felt his tongue curl into a spiral over her clit, just as it had over her breast, and he swirled it quickly away from her body, causing several consecutive ripples of pleasure that pulled a loud cry from her. She chanced a glance at him and found his own eyes were closed in concentration, with an expression that looked very bothered indeed. She noticed that he kept unconsciously grinding his hips into the mattress; was he just as aroused as she was?

After a few minutes, he brought a hand between her legs and spread her moist lips apart. The faint light made her wet flesh glisten, and he nearly came on the spot. Utilizing great self control, he resisted jumping up and shoving himself into her. Instead, he pressed a finger into her and felt completely overwhelmed at the heat that engulfed his digit. The warmth radiating from her body was exquisite, like the sun beating down on him from above and the heat rising from the ground to pummel him from below, that sweet feeling of all around comfort. But her dewy, hot inner walls clamped onto his finger as he moved it in and out, and the searing feeling made him feel feverish and slightly delirious. He wanted to be inside her, but first…

Spitz repeated the motion of fastening his lips to her clit and sucking gently, but found that he could get a better reaction out of her if he also flicked his tongue against it as he did so. He moved his finger faster in time with his tongue, and Ibis was soon moaning loud enough for anyone outside the bedroom to hear. He knew that she was close; her muscles were clenching down on his invading finger in spasmodic rhythms, and her movements were jerky and tense.

The coil in her belly was curling tighter and tighter, ready to spring. Ibis's focus was all on the tremors of pleasure his ministrations brought forth. She could almost see in her mind's eye the sight of his long, wet tongue plying her flesh with sweet promises, coaxing out the final downpour of ecstasy. And suddenly, she had the feeling she felt when the motorbike she was riding dropped off the edge into the sky: so sudden she hadn't realized it had happened until it was already upon her. Her orgasm came rushing, far stronger than anything she'd ever felt. A strangled, broken cry burst from her mouth as she finally came, her mind blanking on any sensation save those between her legs. The hand that lay on his head clenched, pulling his cranial spikes tight and making him growl with ardor.

Spitz forced himself to keep running his tongue over her as she let out a loud wail, her muscles alternately gripping his finger tight and releasing it as he moved it. The unexpected wave of wet warmth that accompanied her orgasm made him more excited than ever; she was so ready for him, he knew it. The scent of her hormones was so strong that he could smell nothing else except her sweat and feminine musk. Her body would be loosened up and sensitive to the touch, and—

The double doors to Ibis's room slammed open, flooding the room with light. Ibis didn't register who was there, but she remembered that she was naked and spread out for any eyes to see. She shrieked and scrambled to cover herself.

"Miss Ibis! I heard a—" Say'kar stood there in the doorway holding his double-bladed staff at the ready. The adolescent Raptor's expression was determined and fierce, focused on nothing but protecting his commander. But his facial muscles relaxed instantly upon his encounter with her heightened scent, perfuming the air so thickly that it drove everything else from his mind as he instinctively searched for the source, his cranial spikes twitching and the webbing between hesitantly inching up. Ibis stared at him and began to order him out and away, but the words never made it out of her mouth before a blur of grey-green scales rushed toward Say'kar and pinned him to the hallway wall outside her doors with a loud bang.

It was Spitz, his hand at the youth's throat the only thing keeping Say'kar's feet off the floor as he pinioned him up. His pale yellow eyes were pulled into thin slits, his pupils tiny from the sudden light, and his damp lips were pulled back from his sharp teeth in a nasty, predatory grimace of rage. His cranial spines had lifted and now stood straight up from his skull in a proud crest, the fine white webbing between each one extended nearly all the way up to the tips of the spines. Spines that normally laid flat along the length of his vertebrae rose as well, webbing also spread between spine and scale. A guttural snarl rose up from the depths of his stomach as he stared Say'kar down with all his muscles bulging. His quarry, at first trying to intimidate him in the presence of the scent, realized that he was outdone and gasped and struggled in vain to free himself. Spitz's foreclaws dug into Say'kar's flesh for a moment, drawing blood, before he flung him down the hall with barely any effort. Then he drew a deep breath, opened his mouth wide, and let loose a resounding roar at the young one as he began to flee in sheer terror. The roar itself sounded like the screech of metal rending with an undercurrent of thunder, and it carried after the frightened adolescent like a vicious, hungry wolf chasing down a rabbit.

Ibis was so astonished at the sudden violence that she didn't move for a moment. Spitz closed his mouth and panted heavily, evidently still livid, while he kept his eyes focused in the direction of Say'kar's flight. Ibis shakily stood, her legs weak from the aftermath of her orgasm, and stumbled toward Spitz, who didn't appear to register her approach until she was at the threshold of her bedroom. Her scent preceded her, and he jerked his head around to look at her so quickly, a dribble of saliva was flung from his mouth. He locked eyes with her and she flinched, the sight of his angrily angled eyes with their almost invisible pupils making him look like a creature out of her worst nightmares. She swallowed, trying to wet her dry mouth.

"Spitz?" The sound of her voice made him flinch in return, the manic grimace of rage falling apart, his eyes returning to normal, and his dorsal crests laying flat once more. Only his skull crest remained standing, still proud and tall. Ibis drew up a wavering hand and brushed her fingers against the webbing. Spitz groaned inwardly, a shock of pleasure so intense riding along his nerves that it obliterated any anger he had left. His entire body shuddered as if he was cold, but the heat from her touch blazed like wildfire through his veins, making him feel as if he'd been lying in the sun for hours. "Please come back to bed, Spitz." He opened his eyes.

In the light, her slightly sweaty skin sparkled as it had the day after he'd taken her from the Condor, like tiny gold flakes spread across her skin. She was holding her arms across her chest to hide herself, but she only succeeded in making her breasts more pronounced; her short, magenta hair was rumpled and fell about her reddened cheeks; her stomach, her legs, her lips, her everything! He swallowed down the surge of overwhelming desire that came up his throat and swept her up neatly into his arms before he brought her back in and settled her on the mattress.

Ibis watched him stride back to close the doors. His frame was silhouetted against the light in the hall for just a moment before he closed them back in the dark. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the shadows, and she couldn't stop watching the supple movement of his muscles underneath his scales. It made a tight heat return between her legs, and she suddenly found that she wanted him to join with her. She couldn't think of anyone better to share her body with than this strong, healthy, passionate Raptor who cared so much for her. His crest waved slightly as he sat on the edge of the bed, not looking at her. It struck her that this was like their first kiss; he had kissed her with such fervor, and then had retreated as if he was embarrassed that he had lost control for even a minute. She knew what to do. She pushed him back a little and straddled his lap to face him. He seemed surprised to see her, but he still wrapped his arms around her waist and allowed her to cup his jaw in her palms as she pressed her lips to his.

He enjoyed the feel of her hot skin tracing a path over his body, her fingers creating burning trails as they swept down his throat, fluttered over his collarbones, and raced up the back of his skull to caress his crest. Another wave of febrile lust radiated from her touch, and he quickly pulled her hands away.

"Does it hurt?" Her voice sounded tiny and worried in the dark. He shook his head and kissed one of her palms. "Then why shouldn't I touch it?"

"It'th…it maketh me want you tho bad." His voice was ragged and rough but whether it was so from his roar of dominance or from his restrained longing, she wasn't sure.

"And why can't I have you want me?" She took back her hands and began rubbing her fingers over his spine, making him tremble.

"Afraid I won't be able to thtop if you want me to."

"What if I want you to keep going?" As she queried in a voice husky with hunger, she sank her hips onto his lap, pressing her now feverish skin against his crotch and gently grinding against it in what she hoped was a provocative manner. Her heart was nearly beating out of her ribcage, she was so excited.

Spitz's breathing began to labor a little, as if he was trying to keep from throwing her on the bed and making her scream with want. He took too long to decide, so Ibis pulled out the last thing that could make him believe she wanted him.

"_Please, Spitz, please join with me. I need you_." The Dracish was unpolished and terribly formal, but he understood perfectly the meaning. His head snapped up and he stared straight into her eyes. They were wide and pleading; he recognized her desire and found that he couldn't ignore her warmth or her shape or her scent any longer. He pulled her back for another kiss, this one conveying all his want at once. He tightened his hold around her waist and shifted her around to lay her against the pillows.

While he pulled off his leather breeches, Ibis sat back and buried her nose in the pillow under her head. It smelled warm and dusty and male, like he had rubbed it all over himself. She watched his movements out of the corner of her eye, tracing the outlines of his trim thighs and the bulk of his tail. When he turned, she saw what she had been waiting for: his cock rose out of his sheath smoothly as he crawled across the bed to rest between her legs. She made herself comfortable and reached out for him; when he came closer, his knees pushed under her thighs and nudged her legs into splaying apart. As he settled himself over her completely and ran a rough hand over her side lovingly, she was jarred into remembering the strange vision she'd had not long after she and Xandra had arrived on the Condor; the dark room, the smell of male musk on a pillow, the hand running down her ribs and hips. It had come true. Her body stiffened slightly at the sudden realization that Issmosa had now connected them to each other twice.

"Jutht relaxth, Ibith." There it was, the final piece of the puzzle of the vision. It had indeed been Spitz she had seen and heard. But now was not a time to dwell on that, she reminded herself as Spitz framed her head with his arms and gently rubbed his cock over her seam. The horizontal ridges adorning the underside of his rod felt like a dozen tongues licking at her at once. Her cheeks burned at the thought and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Ready?" he asked. She nodded and felt one last stab of anxiety for the unknown she was about to take part in as he positioned his head at her opening and began to push inside.

The feeling of being penetrated was not as painful as she had assumed it would be. She had heard that it would be sharp and unbearable, that there would be blood and she would shed tears. Instead, she only felt a low burning, like a stretching muscle, as he entered her inch by inch. She breathed deeply and calmly, willing her body to open up and accept him. She could feel the individual ridges now, top and bottom, and her inner muscles clenched at the feeling of being rubbed in such a way.

Once Spitz felt his hips touch hers, he stopped moving and let out a ragged breath. The searing temperature of her inner body was so intense that he almost believed he would start sweating himself, as impossible as that was. He laid his forehead on hers and panted, hoping that his body would get used to the feeling of so much heat. If keeping still took this much effort to get used to, how good would it feel to move, to pound into her and have that wonderful warmth swallow him over and over until he couldn't bear it anymore? He felt he would lose his mind. Gradually, the scorch became a soft boil, and his body became tolerant enough for him to continue.

Ibis, for her part, wasn't impatient to get started. She let him adjust as long as he wanted; she knew that her mammalian heat was both a pleasure and a torture to his reptilian physiology. She bided her time by gently stroking his shoulder blades. She felt him sigh contentedly and then the invading pressure in her began to move slowly. Out, in, out, in…the feeling of being filled so completely thrilled her and the added bonus of the ridges massaging her inner walls made her shiver deliciously. And his weight lying over her didn't feel uncomfortable; she wished that he would lay on her more fully, press the length of his body over hers. An involuntary moan escaped her as he increased his speed by a fraction. His lips sealed over hers sweetly, his hands dug into her hair and bared her throat again. He kissed down her chin and nipped at her skin, nudging her hair out of the way to give him more skin to ravage. Ibis closed her eyes against the onslaught of pleasure and tried to dig her fingernails into his hide, but only managed to make them clatter against his scales. Spitz felt it, felt her hands so close to his dorsal crests; he flicked them open with a roll of his shoulders. Her walls squeezed around him, almost dragging him back each time he pulled out. He'd never felt anything so wonderful. He brought his legs closer, positioning them underneath her hips, and laid on her, scale to skin. She let out a breathy cry close to his ear, and he shuddered at the sound and the warmth that increased as he pushed deeper into her.

She could feel another orgasm slowly approaching; she hadn't known that she could be capable of having more than one within ten minutes, but she wasn't going to complain. His dry, cool scales felt exquisite against her damp, feverish skin, and the change in depth caused his cock to graze a hidden spot within her, not enough to make her come, but just enough with each entry to bring her closer. His crests brushed against her fingers and she felt his frame shudder. Unconsciously, she lifted her hips to deepen his shallow thrusts, and his pubic bone pressed against her clit, causing a shudder of her own to rock her body. It happened again and again as he moved faster, and soon she couldn't go a few seconds without letting out a hearty moan. The combined sensations, the rubbing ridges, the deep thrusts, the repetitive pressure on her clit, proved to be too much; her thoughts slowly devolved until she could think of nothing but his movements.

Spitz breathed heavily at the junction of her throat and shoulder, lost to the sound of her appreciative cries. He untangled one hand from her hair and swept it down her side, cupping her hip and using the leverage to roll his hips closer; his actions forced another moan out of her, higher and louder than before. The pitch of it struck a chord within him and he couldn't help his claws sliding out and pricking her soft skin. She gasped and bucked against him harder, clearly not worried about his claws being a danger to her. She brought her head down and caught his lips with hers, forcing her sweet tongue past his teeth with a furious new energy. A thicker, cloying heat engulfed his cock and he had to beat back the growing pressure of his own climax. She was close as well; he lost track of his thoughts and just felt, just moved. Her movements became clumsy and irregular, so he used his grip on her hip to help her regain the rhythm, pushing her body against his time and again.

Her body tensed up beneath his, and she let out a quiet, faltering wail as her muscles clenched down on him in release. A rush of new, wet warmth washed over him as she tried desperately to keep moving to wring every last ounce of pleasure out of the moment. His passage through her became easier now, and he felt himself lose control; he withdrew from her and ignored her protests as he rolled her over, spread her legs roughly, and shoved back in. Every bit of his dissolving concentration was focused on the feel of her center pulling him back, the wet sound of their joining loud in the room, her pants and squeals of delight as his climax roared through him. His fingers tightened on her skin, he ground his hips against her bottom, and he let out a howl as he spurted into her, slamming himself into her body without mercy.

Slowly, he came down from his high and reluctantly pulled away from her. He sat back, trying to catch his breath as Ibis's legs trembled violently and she slumped sideways beside him. A little of his semen trickled out of her and dripped down her thigh as she also panted and gasped. He moaned at the back of his throat at the sight of her spent body and the pink marks on her hips where his fingers had been. A wave of exhaustion came over him and forced him to crawl onto his side before her and lay down facing her. With the last of his strength, he drew her to him tightly, wrapped his tail around her, and lowered his crests before they both closed their eyes and succumbed to oblivion.


End file.
